Social housing and the community child care: A case study on the 'We Stay Byeolnae' in Namyangju-si

Abstract

This study identifies South Korea’s prolonged ultra-low birth rate as a symptom of a social reproduction crisis and examines whether a Commons-based approach, integrating social housing with community child rearing and care activities, can provide solutions to this issue. If the low birth rate is closely linked to the separation of production and reproduction and the crisis in social reproduction, the solution lies in reconstructing social reproduction by redefining the boundaries between production and reproduction. This study highlights the importance of a boundary struggle to overcome the division between production and reproduction and to expand care into the communal sphere. Located in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province, ‘WeStay Byeolnae’ is a cooperative-stlye social housing apartment complex that exemplifies redefining the boundaries of social reproduction and restoring its meaning through community child rearing and care activities. The Care Commons formed through trust and cooperation among neighbors alleviates childcare stress, reduces family conflicts, and positively influences the intention to have children. Through the case study of WeStay Byeolnae, this research argues for an integrated approach to housing and care to enhance the quality of life and reconstruct social reproduction. Furthermore, it proposes that the low birth rate issue cannot be resolved simply as an economic cost problem but requires addressing care from the perspective of commoning.