Infrastructures of Distinction in Corporate South Korea
Dr. Mike Prentice (School of East Asian Studies, University of Sheffield)
Abstract:
Based on ethnographic evidence from one Korean conglomerate, this talk provides an anthropological account of the work inside a South Korean conglomerate. Rather than tales of hierarchical abuse, I describe the serious work that goes into managing individuals, particularly the role of what I call ‘infrastructures of distinction.’ This concept refers to the techniques and genres that measure interpersonal distinctions of potential and current employees. These are attempts to overcome perceived problems of hierarchy, such as favoritism, and suggest that South Korean corporations are much more invested in techno-scientific ways of assessing individuals than they are normally given credit for.
Zur Person:
Mike Prentice is a Lecturer in Korean Studies in the School of East Asian Studies at the University of Sheffield. He received his PhD in anthropology at the University of Michigan and studies issues around work, communication, and culture in contemporary South Korea. His monograph, Supercorporate: Distinction and Participation in Post-hierarchy South Korea was recently published by Stanford University Press. Streaming / Video URL https://heiconf.uni-heidelberg.de/upyt-pmtv-ujq4-zw79 Veranstalter Prof. Dr. Anja Senz, Institut für Sinologie Homepage Veranstalter https://ostasien-aktuell.uni-heidelberg.de Kontakt Ostasien Aktuell Kontakt URL https://ostasien-aktuell.uni-heidelberg.de Alle Termine der Veranstaltung 'Vortragsreihe Ostasien Aktuell': Mittwoch, 10. Mai 2023, 18.00 Uhr Zur Rolle organisierter Religion im politischen System Japans Prof. Axel Klein (IN-EAST Institut für Ostasienwissenschaften, Universität Duisburg-Essen)
Montag, 05. Juni 2023, 13.00 Uhr Infrastructures of Distinction in Corporate South Korea Dr. Mike Prentice (School of East Asian Studies, University of Sheffield)
Montag, 12. Juni 2023, 13.00 Uhr Tibetan Women-in-Exile in India: Construction of the Idea of the Tibetan Nation and Contributions to Tibetan Nationalism Dr. Amrita Saikia (Department of Sociology, University of Science and Technology, Meghalaya, India)
Montag, 26. Juni 2023, 18.00 Uhr Environmental Politics in East Asia Prof. Mary Alice Haddad (East Asian and Environmental Studies, Wesleyan University)
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