Democratization during the Transformative Times and the Role of Popular Education in the Philippines and Korea

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Grenda

Examines how popular education contributed to democratization in the Philippines and South Korea across the transformative period of the 1970s and 1980s. Compares similarities and differences in characteristics, methods, and fields of practice, including church-related initiatives, labor and community organization, and elite-led tendencies. Argues that popular education helped raise consciousness among the powerless and supported social transformation, though each country developed distinct concepts, initiatives, and educator roles. Draws on theories and observed practices to link education to sociopolitical democratization.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages12

Reading Time30 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

General Situation of the Two Countries during the 1970s and 1980s

The Historical Background

Asia Pacific Education Review Copyright 2008 by Education Research Institute 2008, Vol. 9, No.3, 355-366. Democratization during the Transformative Times and the Role of Popular Education in the Philippines and Korea Sung-Sang Yoo Hankuk University of Foreign Studies Korea Comparing popular education in the Philippines and South Korea, it is clear that a number of similarities and differences exist regarding the characteristics, methods, and main fields in which popular education has operated. ‘Church-related practices,’‘uniting with CO movements,’‘an elite-led tendency,’ and ‘a disregard for the Left’have all occurred in similar ways in both countries. While introducing the socio-political situation during 1970s and 1980s of these two countries, this paper discusses the theories and practices of popular education. Our findings indicate how popular education in both countries has played a significant role in raising the levels consciousness in the powerless and transforming societies and enabled them to establish a better community. Moreover, each country developed different concepts, initiatives and methods in relation to popular education. In addition, popular educators have been asked to play different roles in each popular education field while most methods were in fact heavily dependent upon elite-led practices. Key words: popular education, South Korea, Philippines, democratization Introduction Popular education has played a significant role in‘arousing,’‘mobilizing,’ and ‘organizing’ people with the goal of social transformation in both the Philippines and South Korea. In the Philippines, a radical popular movement resulted in the People Power Revolution (also known as the EDSA) that provided the momentum for democratization in the 1970s and 1980s. Popular education had been employed as a means of empowering people and in undermining President Marcos’ oppressive dictatorship (Garcia, 1999) . Popular educators realized that a more diverse, more Sung-Sang Yoo, College of Education, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Korea. Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Sung-Sang Yoo, 270-1 Imun2dong Dongdaemungu Seoul 130- 791, Korea. E-mail: [sungsang@hufs.ac.kr](sungsang@hufs.ac.kr) practical, and more humane transformation could come from people’s empowerment through ‘conscientization’ (Alejo, 2001) . Thus, popular education has provided the theoretical, methodological, and practical base upon which the discourses of democratic social transformation have evolved. South Korea shows very similar tendencies in the relationship between popular education and the popular movements which arose during this same time period. From the critical perspectives applied in relation to General Park’s military regime, the claims of ordinary people for sociopolitical democratization resulted in the demise of continuous military dictatorships before the ‘6.29 Democracy Declaration’ in 1987. 1 As examined above, popular education was an essential foundation which provided the philosophy, methods, and regular opportunities for dialogue by those participating in the popular movements. Thus, popular education was namely a symbolic space in which to practice democracy and a concrete basis for Sung-Sang Yoo educational practice to proceed toward democratization (Gaerlan, 1999; Synott, 2002) . While social activists as popular educators dedicated themselves to ‘community organization,’ ‘labor struggles,’ managing ‘night classes,’serving the marginalized, and attempting to change people’s political circumstances, they attempted to eradicate structural exclusion, systemic alienation, and various forms of discrimination. Through popular education, people challenged the dominant classes who wished to reproduce and maintain hierarchical power relations. The General Situation of the Two Countries during the 1970s and 1980s The Historical Background The contexts of the two countries will be disc

FAQs

What role did popular education play in the Philippines during the 1970s and 1980s?

It supported social transformation by mobilizing and empowering people, contributing momentum for democratization and undermining Marcos’ oppressive dictatorship.

How does the paper compare popular education between the Philippines and South Korea?

It identifies both similarities and differences in practices and methods, while noting that many approaches relied heavily on elite-led tendencies and that educator roles varied by field.

What historical factors shaped popular education and democratization in both countries?

Colonization by major foreign powers undermined collective self-esteem and left lasting gaps between beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries, influencing social, cultural, and political structures and stalling transformation.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Grenda