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Home Issues Backissues Volume 31, No.1 The Study of Correlations among Interview Language Usage and Political Attitudes in Taiwan

The Study of Correlations among Interview Language Usage and Political Attitudes in Taiwan

Lu-Huei Chen and Su-Feng Cheng
2003 / 11
Volume 10, No.2

pp.135-158
10.6612/tjes.2003.10.02.135-158
Paper

Abstract

In this paper, we examine how different dialects used in survey research, and present how language usage might be correlated with people’s national identity and Taiwan independence preference. It was shown that people’s national identity was correlated with language used in face-to-face interviews. People speaking Taiwanese dialect were more likely to identify themselves as Taiwanese, and people speaking Mandarin were more likely to identify themselves as Chinese. It indicated that language used by people’s daily life conversation might be a cue for their national identity. Therefore, national identity is more likely to connect with cultural dimension. However, in surveys, there was no connection between language usage and people’s preference on Taiwan independence issue. From our findings, comparing with people’s “Taiwanese/Chinese” identity, people’s preference toward unification with mainland China or Taiwan independence is more likely to be a rational choice between two alternatives. For students of survey research and political identities research in Taiwan, our research findings are very constructive.

Keywords

Survey Research

Methodology

Language Usage

Political Attitude