Courses

JSIS 484F / Anthro 469A: Taiwan: Culture, Society, History

Instructor

Professor Stevan Harrell

Course Description

This class is about layers of Taiwan: ethnic, historical, political, cultural. We will begin with a brief overview of the island, its geography and peoples, and what history means to present-day society and politics. Then we will have a look at the elections of January 16, both before and after. After that, we will look more closely at the history from pre-colonization, to the early period of Dutch, Zheng, and Qing regimes, through the periods of Japanese and Guomindang colonial rule, to the evolution of democracy. Toward the end, we will look at aspects of present-day society, looking at environmentalism, museums, religion, marriage and the family, and the relationship between local, national, and global. By the end of the course, you should have a good idea of what Taiwan is like and be able to discuss issues about Taiwan in an intelligent and rational manner.

Course Website