Poster #54 - Governing Through Affect: A Critical Analysis of South Korea’s High School Credit System Policy

• In Event: Saturday Poster Luncheon

Abstract

Background and Purpose: Educational policy texts function not only as vehicles for rational planning but also as affective instruments that mobilize stakeholders. These documents often evoke emotions—such as fear, hope, and aspiration—to construct the urgency or desirability of reform. Rather than operating solely through technical-rational mechanisms, policies are embedded with affective appeals that shape perceptions and practices. This study critically examines the affective dimensions of South Korea’s High School Credit System, a policy that allows high school students to select courses based on their interests and career paths. While promoted as a progressive move away from standardized curricula, the success of the reform hinges significantly on the engagement of teachers. Thus, this study asks: What kinds of affect are mobilized to encourage teacher participation? How are these affects deployed in policy discourse? And what political effects do these affective circulations produce?

 

Methods: The study analyzes 41 official policy documents related to the High School Credit System, all published or co-produced by the Ministry of Education. Employing an affective methodology (Kølvraa, 2015), the analysis goes beyond literal interpretations to trace the affective intensities embedded in the texts. It focuses on how emotional resonances—both positive (e.g., aspiration, pride, belonging) and negative (e.g., fear, anxiety, threat)—are attached to particular policy concepts and rhetorical devices. The aim is to uncover how these affective cues shape policy meaning and guide stakeholder engagement.

 

Results: The analysis reveals that the policy texts deploy both negative and positive affective strategies. Negative affect is evoked through crisis rhetoric and references to legal mandates, creating a sense of anxiety and obligation. At the same time, positive affect is mobilized to generate enthusiasm and emotional attachment—through discourses of system innovation, promotion of new professional norms, and emphasis on emotionally gratifying outcomes. These affective framings help construct a reform-minded teacher identity, align actors with policy goals, and reduce resistance to change.

 

Conclusions and Implications: The findings suggest that affect operates as a key technology of governance in educational policy. Emotional appeals are not merely supplementary to rational discourse but are central to how policies gain traction and shape practice. This research highlights the need to attend to the affective conditions that underpin policy production and implementation. Especially as teacher participation becomes more central to education reform, understanding how affective mechanisms foster or hinder engagement is crucial. The study contributes to growing scholarship on the politics of affect in education and calls for further exploration of how emotional logics inform policy-making and enactment.

Author

• Kyunghee So, Seoul National University
  Presenting Author