
Culture and Customs of Taiwan
Greenwood Press
Published on 24. September 1998
Book
Hardback
280 pages
978-0-313-30298-5 (ISBN)
Description
Taiwanese society is in the midst of an immense, exciting effort to define itself, seeking to erect a contemporary identity upon the foundation of a highly distinctive history. This book provides a thorough overview of Taiwanese cultural life. The introduction familiarizes students and interested readers with the island's key geographical and demographic features, and provides a chronological summary of Taiwanese history. In the following chapters, Davison and Reed reveal the uniqueness of Taiwan, and do not present it simply as the laboratory of traditional Chinese culture that some anthropologists of the 1950s through the 1970s sought when mainland China was not accessible. The authors examine how religious devotion in Taiwan is different from China in that the selected deities are those most relevant to the needs of the Taiwanese people. Literature and art, particularly of the 20th century, reflect the Taiwanese quest for identity more than the grand Chinese tradition. The Taiwanese architecture, festivals and leisure activities, music and dance, cuisine and fashion, are also highlighted topics. The final chapter presents the most recent information regarding children and education, and explores the importance of the Taiwanese family in the context of meaningful relationships amongst acquaintances, friends, and institutions that make up the social universe of the Taiwanese. This text is a lively treatment of one of the world's most dynamic societies.
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
United States
Publishing group
Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Dimensions
Height: 240 mm
Width: 161 mm
Thickness: 19 mm
Weight
581 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-313-30298-5 (9780313302985)
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Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Gary M. Davison | Barbara Reed
Culture and Customs of Taiwan
E-Book
09/1998
1st Edition
Greenwood Press
€62.49
Available for download
Persons
GARY MARVIN DAVISON has very diverse teaching experiences as he has taught in prison, at four high schools and two universities, and at English-as-a-Second Language institutions in Taiwan, where he has lived for two lengthy periods and where he visits frequently.
BARBARA E. REED teaches in the Religion Department and Asian Studies Program at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota. /e
BARBARA E. REED teaches in the Religion Department and Asian Studies Program at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota. /e
Content
Series Foreword Note on Romanization Brief Chronology of the History of Taiwan Land and History Thought and Religion Festivals and Entertainment Music and Dance Art and Literature Architecture Cuisine and Fashion Marriage, Family and Gender Glossary of Chinese Terms Selected Bibliography Index