Quiet Collectivity: Gendered Refusal in South Korea's 4B Movement

Abstract

This thesis examines the emergence of 4B – the refusal of marriage, dating, sex, and childbirth by women – within contemporary South Korean feminism and asks whether 4B should be understood as a series of individual lifestyle choices or as a form of collective action. Drawing on the historical trajectory of South Korean feminism and eleven in-depth interviews with young Korean women who practice 4B, this study situates the movement within broader feminist and social movement frameworks. Through four key themes – identity reflexivity, the subversion of normative femininity, relationship and coalition building, and positioning along a feminist spectrum – the analysis explores how participants make meaning of their disengagement from heterosexual expectations. The findings suggest that 4B constitutes a form of “quiet collectivity,” in which refusal operates as a shared, socially meaningful practice rather than purely private decision-making. In a context marked by persistent gender inequality and patriarchal expectations, participants’ collective withdrawal from normative life pathways becomes both a critique of existing structures and an alternative mode of feminist action. By prioritizing exit over reform, 4B challenges dominant theories of social movements that privilege visibility, public protest, and formal organization. This study contributes to the sociology of social movements by theorizing collective refusal as a gendered form of action and offers new insights into the evolving landscape of South Korean feminism.