Contents

Chapters in this book

1. Frontmatter i
2. Contents vii
3. List of Figures ix
4. Note on Korean Romanization and Usage xi
5. Acknowledgments xiii
6. Introduction: North Korea’s Mundane Revolution 1
7. 1. The Anxieties of Socialist Transition 21
8. Part One Cultural Living and the Ever-Striving Socialist Self
9. Introduction 39
10. 2. An Era of Advice 42
11. 3. The Politics of Criticism and Dormitory Surveillance 65
12. Part Two the Political Economy of Apartments
13. Introduction 79
14. 4. An Obsession with Efficiency 82
15. 5. The Ideological Pivot 115
16. Part Three Making Happy Family Homes
17. Introduction 129
18. 6. Supporting the Nuclear Family 133
19. 7. The Politics of Unhappy Housewives 159
20. Part Four The Ambivalences of Consumption
21. Introduction 179
22. 8. Savings and Silences 182
23. 9. Home Décor, Culturedness, and the Class Politics of Style 201
24. Conclusion: Looking Up at Comrade Kim 223
25. Appendix: An Essay on North Korean Print Media Sources 241
26. Notes 249
27. Selected Bibliography 309
28. Index 325