13th Annual North American Taiwan Studies Conference - Taiwan in the Nexus of "Empires"

Main Theme: Since the birth of modern social sciences, nations or nation-states as implicit units or boundaries of analysis have dominated social inquiry. The use of such frameworks, however, often implies unexamined assumptions, such as that these societies have homogeneous and synchronic societal landscapes and autarkies. The theme "Taiwan in the Nexus of ‘Empires’" challenges scholars from all disciplines to look at Taiwan from a different perspective. Participants are invited to reflect on: a) how the presence of competing empires on the islands, both past and present, have shaped Taiwan's social, political, economic, and cultural landscapes, and b) how these imperial influences, with their multiple forms and layers of governance and hegemony, have resulted in particular responses by the Taiwanese people, such as resistance, acceptance, transformation, and misplacement in everyday life or academic praxis. The term "empire" as used in this Call for Paper is broadly understood to possess the potential to include without limitations sovereign states, private and public entities, supra-national organizations, and ideology. Please note that methodological reflections or critiques of this empire approach as applied to Taiwan Studies are equally welcome.