Journal of Electoral Studies

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Home Issues Backissues Volume 31, No.1 An Analysis of Taiwanese/Chinese Identity: 2000-2021

An Analysis of Taiwanese/Chinese Identity: 2000-2021

Su-feng Cheng
2022 / 11
Volume 29, No.2

pp.73-114
10.6612/tjes.202211_29(2).0003
Paper

Appendix

Abstract

This paper employs qualitative data collected through focus group and in-depth interviews during the period of 2000-2021. The proposed research aims to explore how Taiwanese people define and interpret “Taiwanese”, “Chinese” and “both Taiwanese and Chinese (dual identities)”, and also to clarify people’s identity target and boundary. The result shows that Taiwanese people’s identity contents are continuous and concentrated in the Taiwan- centered “we group” consciousness. The primordialist ties with China persists, yet most of them are regarded as objective facts and cannot be generated or converted into the “we group” consciousness. The major change is that the Chinese consciousness has almost disappeared from popular discourse. Our data also shows that many Taiwanese people have treated Taiwan (Republic of China) as the “we group”, and China (People’s Republic of China) as the “they group”. This finding indicates that Taiwan identity has reached the stage of national identity in terms of boundary setting. The gradual clarity and elevationed consciousness of national identity impliesy that Taiwan has the tendency of reaching a collective identity.

Keywords

Taiwanese

Chinese

dual identity

national identity

boundary setting