IDENTITY
How do we define identity?
"A social category, defined by membership rules and (alleged) characteristic attributes or expected behaviors, or a socially distinguishing features that a person takes a special pride in, or views as unchangeable but socially consequential" (definition from James D. Fearon)
"A social category, defined by membership rules and (alleged) characteristic attributes or expected behaviors, or a socially distinguishing features that a person takes a special pride in, or views as unchangeable but socially consequential" (definition from James D. Fearon)
Identity is an ambiguous term, but is often used to characterize and represent. Identity is something that defines us; we create our identities, which in turn act as how we recognize and distinguish ourselves by. It is a quality, a counterpart, an affiliation of a person or group. When we describe identity, we associate it with something that is important to us, which could act as something that we would feel proud and comfortable attributing ourselves to. In a sense, it is what defines us, and shapes us as who we are. How we identify ourselves as can separate us from other people and groups, but can also unify us, as one common body.
In the everlasting development of Taiwan's identity, the country had absorbed influences and assimilated different aspects of culture from its foreign occupants. The KMT era and Western era both contributed to the overall culture of Taiwan that we see today, each with different effects. These small bits of culture taken from each era of rule define the current values and ideas of Taiwanese people, and define the identity which they characterize themselves by today. To investigate the current identity of Taiwanese people, we must look at how these people identified themselves during each stage of the countries history, and how that has changed over time.
In the everlasting development of Taiwan's identity, the country had absorbed influences and assimilated different aspects of culture from its foreign occupants. The KMT era and Western era both contributed to the overall culture of Taiwan that we see today, each with different effects. These small bits of culture taken from each era of rule define the current values and ideas of Taiwanese people, and define the identity which they characterize themselves by today. To investigate the current identity of Taiwanese people, we must look at how these people identified themselves during each stage of the countries history, and how that has changed over time.