Cultural, Ethnic, and Political Nationalism in Contemporary Taiwan

This volume analyzes what is arguably the single most important aspect of cultural and political change in Taiwan over the past quarter-century: the trend toward 'indigenization' (bentuhua). Focusing on the indigenization of politics and culture and its close connection with the identity politics of ethnicity and nationalism, this volume is an attempt to map prominent contours of the indigenization paradigm as it has unfolded in Taiwan. The opening chapters concern the origin and nature of the trend toward indigenization with its roots in the unique historical trajectory of politics and culture in Taiwan. Subsequent chapters deal with responses and reactions to indigenization in a variety of social, cultural and intellectual domains.

"Cultural, Ethnic and Political Nationalism in Contemporary Taiwan offers timely discussions on important changes in today's Taiwan. Having situated Taiwan in a global context and characterized the "bentuha" as a nationalist endeavor, the contributors of this volume examine carefully the island's colonial legacy, post-colonial experience and ongoing confrontation with mainland China. Their studies provide not only valuable and up-to-date information on Taiwan but also interesting and insightful perspectives on the persistent influence of nationalism and colonialism in this postcolonial and globalizing world." - Q. Edward Wang, Rowan University

"This book provides its readers with an assessment of the cultural and ethnic variables that help answer the question whether or not Taiwan should and/or will become part of China. This is a very critical question: The "Taiwan issue" constitutes a seemingly non-negotiable matter between the world's sole superpower, the United States, and the region's fast rising power, China; the result is that the Taiwan Strait is the world's number one "flashpoint" (or place where a conflict might occur with major powers employing weapons of mass destruction). Starting with the basics may be the key to finding a solution to prevent that." - John F. Copper, Rhodes College, Memphis, Tennessee "The first volume in any language to comprehensively address the theme of indigenization in Taiwan, Makeham and Hsiau s work probes the various meanings of bentuhua from an array of interdisciplinary perspectives. This is a set of nuanced, historically-informed readings that treats an incendiary topic with temperance and sophistication. - Christopher Lupke, Washington State University

Autorentext
JOHN MAKEHAM is Reader in Chinese Studies, Centre for Asian Studies, University of Adelaide, Australia. His recent publications include New Confucianism: A Critical Examination (Palgrave USA, 2003) and Transmitters and Creators: Chinese Commentators and Commentaries on the Analects (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Asia Centre, 2003).

A-CHIN HSIAU is a Fellow in the Institute of Sociology at Academica Sinica, Taiwan.

Inhalt
Taiwanization' in Taiwan's Politics; J.B.Jacobs Why Bother About School Textbooks?: An Analysis of the Origin of the Disputes over Renshi Taiwan Textbooks in 1997; F.Wang Being/not Being at Home in the Writing of Zhu Tianxin; R.Haddon The Indigenization of Taiwanese Literature: Historical Narrative, Strategic Essentialism, and State Violence; A.Hsiau Reading History through the Built Environment in Taiwan; J.E.Taylor Indigenization Discourse in Taiwanese Confucian Revivalism; J.Makeham The Movement to Indigenize the Social Sciences in Taiwan: Origin and Predicaments; M.Chang Epilogue; A.Hsiau