불평등 사회 속 공정 담론의 다차원성 : 청년 공정 관련 신문사설에 대한 비판적 담론분석
초록
이 연구는 촛불 항쟁으로 들어선 문재인 정권 이후 신문 사설에 나타난 청년 관련 공정 담론을 비판적 담론분석을 통해 살펴봄으로써, 대표적인 사회 자원 배분 통로라 할 수 있는 교육과 노동 분야의 공정 담론이 언론 공론장에서 어떻게 다뤄지고 있는지 그 특성과 한계를 고찰하였다. 특히, 한국 사회에서 공정 담론이 각 계층 및 집단의 이익과 목표, 의제에 따라 그 의미가 왜곡되고 있는 양상을 바탕으로, 공정이 고정되거나 평면적인 개념이 아닌 복잡성과 다원성을 지닌 개념임을 드러내고자 했다. 분석 결과, 첫째, 한국 사회에서 공정 담론은 전형적인 능력주의 이데올로기에 포섭돼 공정성의 형평 원칙과 절차적 공정을 극단화하고, 구조적 차별과 착취에서 오는 불공정을 은폐하고 있음을 볼 수 있었다. 둘째, 언론은 상위 계층이나 기득권층의 입장에서 바라보는 공정 담론을 확대 재생산함으로써, 결과적으로 구조적인 불공정 해소가 아닌 기존의 경쟁을 통한 승자독식 지배 체제를 정당화하는 모습을 보였다. 셋째, 언론은 공중들에게 풍부하고 심층적이며 중층적인 공정 담론을 제시하기보다는 각 정치 진영의 이해관계에 복무하거나 이를 대변하면서, 관련 담론을 갈등을 증폭시키는 정쟁의 도구로 활용하는 경향이 있었다. 또한, 한국 사회에 잔존하는 부정부패, 변칙과 반칙이 만연한 전근대성으로 인해, 능력주의적 공정 담론에 대한 사회적 열망이 확장되고 있음을 알 수 있었다. 나아가, 현재 한국 사회에서 능력주의 시스템의 지속과 심화로 인한 신 세습주의 현상이 나타나고 있는데 반해, 여전히 이상적 능력주의에 대한 희망을 떨쳐내지 못하는 모습도 드러나고 있다.
Abstract
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.
Keywords:
meritocracy, fairness discourse, fairness principle, inequality, public sphere키워드:
능력주의, 공정 담론, 공정 원칙, 불평등, 공론장References
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