A Whole Village Involved in Raising Children: Community Mobilisation and Educational Integration of Afghan Special Contributors in South Korea
저자: 구기연(아시아연구소)
Anthropology of the Middle East 20(2), 2025
울산에서 아프간 특별기여자의 교육 통합은 어떻게 이루어졌으며, 한국 난민 정책의 어떤 성격을 드러내는가?
This ethnographic article examines educational integration of Afghan special contributors in Ulsan, South Korea, through community mobilisation for children’s education. Drawing on mobility justice and hospitality theories, it investigates how exclusionary Korean society made exceptional accommodations for Afghan refugees. Based on 2022-2025 fieldwork with educators, administrators, and Afghan families, the article analyzes transformation from local resistance to community engagement. The research highlights Ulsan Metropolitan Office of Education’s inclusive policy under ‘Not giving up on any child’, demonstrating collaboration among schools, government, private sector, and community organisations. While documenting successful Muslim immigrant integration, it critically examines the ‘special contributor’ designation’s implications within Korea’s refugee policy framework, contributing insights into overcoming cultural barriers and mobilising collective resources for refugee integration in East Asian