Event — Conference

Multiculturalism in Taiwan

08/01/2009 - 09:00

 

multiculturalism in Taiwan

8 - 10 January 2009
Kaohsiung, Taiwan

Joint conference organised by National Science Council (NSC), Taipei, Taiwan and International Institute for Asian Studies (IIAS) Leiden, the Netherlands

 

Convenors:
Prof. Tak-wing Ngo (International Institute for Asian Studies, Extraordinary Chair in the History of Asia, the Netherlands)
Prof. Hong-zen Wang (National Sun Yat-sen University, Taiwan)

Introduction

Taiwanese society has been polarised in the recent years by ethnic tension. Instead of reducing social polarisation, democratic reform has in fact contributed to increasing ethnic tension because identity politics has been the major source of electoral mobilization. In this regard, the idea of multiculturalism is particularly relevant to present-day Taiwan. Multiculturalism offers an alternative approach of how to reconcile and accommodate group differences. In Charles Taylor's formulation, protecting the rights of individual requires the protection of the cultures that historically constitute at least part of their identity. If the state promotes the self-defining activities of individuals (through eg. education, religion), it should also promote the self-defining activities of its constitutive cultural group. Justice requires not the melting away of differences, but institutions that promote the reproduction of and, more importantly, respect for group differences without oppression.

Objective of the Conference

The conference aims to explore the relevance of multiculturalism to Taiwan as well as the problems arising from the politics of difference. For instance, an essentialist categorisation of identity (such as mainlander and Taiwanese) tends to reify the once-fluid, non-exclusive identities into discrete units. It creates endless struggle among groups to enlarge the field for the expression of their identity interests. Yet a constructivist perspective which sees overlapping identities (such as a Hakka catholic who is a gay migrant) also creates practical problems for political action since the political subjectivity of social groups disappears. In other words, if the anti-essentialist nature of groups is to be taken seriously and the rights of endless divisible subgroups to be recognized, then the rationale for prioritizing multicultural group identity disappears.

The conference seeks to explore these key issues in depth. Specifically, it hopes to address the following questions with respect to Taiwan:

  1. the politics of recognition and difference among different groups;
  2. the tension between the normative principle of multiculturalism and practical politics; and
  3. the contradictions between nation building and the politics of difference in the midst of Taiwan's struggle for independence and sovereignty.

It proposes to look at these issues by making reference to the following groups:

  • mainlanders and islanders
  • Hakkas
  • aborigins
  • recent migrants
  • minority religious communities
  • gay and lesbian groups

For further information, please contact Mr Allen Chao, anchao50@gmail.com