Bodily regulation and vocational schooling

Since the late 1980s, young women in South Korea (hereafter Korea) have had to satisfy certain physical requirements in order to gain low-status cleri cal jobs in larger corporations. This article analyses the impact of these physical requirements on commercial high school education and the subjectiv ity of the female students. The discussion revolves around three main issue s: (1) the socio-economic contexts in which large companies have come to de mand certain physical characteristics of lower status female clerical worke rs; (2) the responses of commercial high schools and female students; and ( 3) the theoretical implications of this study.