불평등 사회 속 공정 담론의 다차원성 : 청년 공정 관련 신문사설에 대한 비판적 담론분석

초록

This study utilizes a critical discourse analysis of youth-related fairness discourse appearing in a series of newspaper editorials during the Moon Jae-in regime, from the beginning of his presidency. Specifically, this study examines how fairness discourse in the field of education and labor, as a representative social resource distribution channel, is articulated in the public forum of the media. In particular, based on the diagnosis that the meaning of fairness discourse in Korean society is distorted upon the interests and goals of each class and groups, we tried to examine the complex and plural nature of the concept of fairness in a context-specific way. First, fairness discourse is embraced by the ideology of meritocracy that emphasizes the principle of equity and procedural fairness. However, this view can conceal injustice, resulting from structural discrimination and exploitation. Second, the media has expanded and reproduced the discourse of fairness viewed from the perspective of the upper class and the powerful. As a result, it justifies a ‘winner takes all’ logic and system of domination through existing competition rather than resolving structural injustice. Third, rather than presenting in-depth coverage of fairness discourse to the public, the media tends to serve and immerse itself in the interests of each political camp and use them as a political tool to amplify conflicts. Furthermore, since corruption and foul play are still prevalent in Korean society, the desire for meritocracy and fairness discourse is growing. On the other hand, although the phenomenon of neo-nepotism due to the continuation of the meritocracy system is emerging in Korean society, there is still a social imagination and hope for the ideal meritocracy.

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