On April 22, 2022, the Taiwan Studies Program hosted emeritus faculty Stevan Harrell for an interview with UW faculty Jing Xu about her current research involving children growing up in a rural Taiwanese village during the 1950s.
Dr. Xu’s project incorporates rigorous anthropological analysis on unpublished research conducted by the late anthropologists Arthur Wolf and Margery Wolf. Despite the age of the materials, Xu observed how the children in the Wolfs’ research had far more in common with modern day children than one might initially expect. She also discussed how her own experience as a mother helped inform her research and added a sense of connection to the lives of both the children and mothers in her materials.
Dr. Xu’s research will be beneficial to Taiwan studies as it expands anthropological and historical insights into the lives of young children in the mid-20th century.
The interview is available below and on our Youtube channel.