The Korean Studies Research Network, an International Programs affinity group, hosts this virtual discussion entitled “Age, Money, and Desire: The Navigation of Intimate Marketplaces by Older Women and the Reconfiguration of Gender Relations in South Korea.” The event will feature Dr. Yu-Ri Kim, postdoctoral research scholar in sociology at the University of Iowa.
While intimacy in later life is commonly thought to be confined to domestic and neighborhood spaces, older adults in South Korea have challenged existing norms of age and gender through their non-domestic intimate pursuits. Drawing on ethnography in Seoul, South Korea, the presentation analyzes the structure of desire and desirability in which women actively devise strategies for their intimate pleasure.
Dr. Yu-Ri Kim is a postdoctoral research scholar in sociology at the University of Iowa. Drawing on fieldwork on the subculture of older adults in South Korea, she is working on a book project that presents the intimate economy in the era of demographic aging. Her work has received recognition from the Association of Anthropology, Gerontology, and the Life Course (AAGE); the Washington University Institute for Korean Studies; and the Society for the Study of Social Problems.
The Korean Studies Research Network aims to bring together scholars whose research focuses on Korea-related topics and to provide mentoring to the younger generation of scholars. It serves as a platform to facilitate collaborative and interdisciplinary research among scholars and graduate students at the University of Iowa and institutions of higher education in the Midwest through seminars, speaker series, and workshops.
This event is made possible through generous support from the Korea Foundation.