Courses

JSIS A 235 / HSTAS 235: History of Modern Taiwan

Instructor

Professor James Lin

Course Description

Using a variety of methods and topics, this course contextualizes Taiwanese history within larger historical trends as well as grapple with key issues of politics, society, and culture pertinent to Taiwan.  How has Taiwan been shaped by its colonial legacy, geography, and peoples?  How have these forces resulted in key issues today such as identity, democracy, and cross-Strait relations?  How has Taiwan imagined the world and its own place within it?

The course covers Taiwanese history from approximately 1600 to the present.  Lecture, in-class discussion, and readings will address key issues such as migration, colonialism, ethnic identity, urban spaces, the Cold War, development, capitalism, science, religion, labor, and gender. Readings will include both historical primary sources and secondary, scholarly analysis and writing.