EDUCATION IN THE MAKING OF WOMENS WORK HISTORY - THE ROLE OF GOVERNMENT AND HOUSEHOLD IN KOREA

This paper aims to explore the ways in which education influences work trajectories of young women working at factories. Life histories of f ifteen Korean working women and their family members were collected an d analyzed. The findings suggest that the level and type of women's ed ucation is affected both by household and government. In the absence o f complete educational support by the government to all citizens, wome n's schooling is affected by the dynamics of gender, familial life cyc les and perceptions and decisions relating to children's education. Ed ucational levels of sons and daughters at the household level reveal a n unequal allocation of resources by parents, resulting in lower educa tional levels of daughters. Women's lower educational qualifications, compared to those of men, are usual unless their families' resources a re sufficient to provide all children equal opportunities, or if their brothers leave home. Furthermore, the type of high school and curricu lum for women are based on underlying assumptions of gender. These not ions and practices exclude women from many job options and steer them towards occupations that are considered to be women's work. Depending on the level of education, women have four different work trajectories within the manufacturing sector.