강원도 폐광지역 변화의 가속화와 지적 기반 구축의 모색 = Acceleration of Changes in Abandoned Mine Areas in Gangwon Province and the Search for Establishment of an Intellectual Foundation

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

This paper aims at identifying substance of social change objectively, and at exploring it’s implications and the basis for alternatives by chasing the trajectory of population structure changes in the abandoned mine areas of Gangwon Province from right before the establishment of coal industry rationalization policy to the most recent period. I adopted an 'acceleration of change’ as a theoretical reference concept for weighing up the nature of population structure changes in Gangwon Province. In this respect, I reviewed arguments on acceleration suggested by Alvin Toffler, David Harvey, Thomas L. Friedman, and Hartmut Rosa. Especially, I examined Rosa's social acceleration theory with its excellent sociological insight heavily. From the viewpoint of acceleration, it was empirically confirmed that changes in the population structure of the abandoned mine areas of Gangwon Province could be defined as an acceleration of change. I could find that the substance of these changes also had an implication of accelerating deepening of regional crises. Given this reality, I emphasized that before all, it should be urgent to establish an independent intellectual infrastructure to overcome serious crises accumulated for a long time, and open up new future for the region. That is the establishment of the Coal Industry Culture Research Institute based on the historical and cultural heritage of the abandoned mine areas in Gangwon Province. The reason is that we are not able to strongly and effectively cope with threats of the stronger accelerating changes than now, with subjugated thinking and attitudes that rely on external research institute for diagnosis of regional reality and blueprint for the future. To sum up, what is immediately needed is a resident-friendly research organization established in the abandoned mine areas. Only then will experts in the institute be able to accurately detect their true desires for a 'good life’ and propose realistic alternatives, with scouring everywhere in the region, breathing and communicating with residents.