| This dissertation analyzes the efforts and roles of social movements in South Korean democratization from 1980 to 1987. The basic assumption of this study is that civil society's preparedness was more critical than any other factors in the success or failure of democratization in South Korea. This study refutes a basic assumption of elite-focused theories of democratization, which argue that no transition to democracy is possible without significant divisions within the authoritarian regime itself. The democratic transition in South Korea in 1987 did not follow the process of the splits within the ruling bloc. Rather, it occurred without elite fragmentation. It was pressure from the below, led by active social movement organizations, that forced the cohesive regime to comply with the people's demands for democratization.;The preparedness of civil society for democracy is explained by two factors: the resources of social movement organizations, and alliances of diverse social sectors, including student, labor, dissident groups, and the urban poor. The amount of resources and the relative success of alliance were influenced by four aspects of the political opportunity structure: repression of the state, elite fragmentation, external support, and the overall power configuration in the political society.;Substantively, this study examines not only state-society relations, but also the horizontal relations of the civil society with itself. Most earlier studies on democratization put their focus on the state or interactions between the state and one of the social sectors. Theoretically, this study accentuates the concept of "political opportunity structure," which was developed by sociologists, in the study of transitions to democracy. |
