Research Article
1. Between
Academic Logistics and Education Frontline: The Bridging Labor of College
Administrative Secretaries
Yi-Tze
Chen, MSSc., Graduate Institute for
Social Transformation Studies, Shih Hsin University,
Chih-Hung
Wang Associate Professor, Graduate
Institute of Building and Planning, National Taiwan University
2. The
Consumption of McDonald for Primary School Children: A Social-Cultural Study on
Focus Groups
Li-Jung
Wang, Professor, Graduate Institute of
Hakka Social and Cultural Studies, National Central University
Shou-Cheng
Lai, Assistant Professor, Department of
Bio-industry Communication and Development, National Taiwan University
Min-Hui
Fong, Teacher, Elementary School of Dong
Men, Taoyuan County
3. Tourist
Gaze as the Cultural Governance: Jiangs, Mainland Tourists and the
(De)Politicization of Tourism
Chun-Kai
Woo, Ph.D Student, Department of
Geography, National Taiwan University
4. Cultural
Reproduction and Gender in Nationalism: On the Gendered Nationalist Project of
the Sorbian Minority in Germany
Fen-Fang
Tsai, Assistant Professor, Graduate
Institute of Hakka Social and Cultural Studies, National Central University
Research Note
1. On
Intergenerational Justice
Chung-Cheng
Huang, Assistant Professor, Institute of
Law for Science and Technology, National Tsing Hua University
Book Review
1. A
Review Essay on The Development History
of the Academic Discipline in the Republic of China edited by Fan-Sen Wang
Chi-Kin
Au, Assistant Professor, History
Department, Hong Kong Shue Yan University
Research Article
Between Academic Logistics and Education Frontline:
The Bridging Labor of College Administrative Secretaries
Yi-Tze
Chen
MSSc.,
Graduate Institute for Social Transformation Studies, Shih Hsin University,
Chih-Hung
Wang
Associate
Professor, Graduate Institute of Building and Planning, National Taiwan
University
This article examines the labor conditions and responses of the
college administrative secretaries, and focuses on their bridging labor of
coping with multi-domains works between academic logistics and education
frontline under the trends towards marketing and performance efficiency in
higher education. Facing the administrative tasks, bureaucratic processes and
emotional labor demands, these secretaries involved diverse social
relationships and formed particular responses and mindsets of themselves. These
secretaries take different images of “underground director”, the housekeeper or
the office-angel, trying to manipulate and maintain the boundaries for
self-protection and negotiation, and leading to the domestication of emotions
or emotional resistance. And the senior secretaries might count on their
experience and knowledge to exercise power and avoid job stress. However, they
tend to individual resistance rather than organize themselves into a group with
negotiating power.
Keywords:
secretary, bridging labor, emotional labor, higher education, boundary-making
The Consumption of McDonald for Primary School
Children: A Social-Cultural Study on Focus Groups
Li-Jung
Wang
Professor,
Graduate Institute of Hakka Social and Cultural Studies, National Central
University
Shou-Cheng
Lai
Assistant
Professor, Department of Bio-industry Communication and Development, National
Taiwan University
Min-Hui
Fong
Teacher,
Elementary School of Dong Men, Taoyuan County
Childhood consumerism is viewed as an important issue in the
educational arena. Contemporary children have increasingly abundant knowledge
regarding advertisements, brands, commodities, and mass media; and their
knowledge and desire for commodities are becoming a new challenge for families
and educators. This paper discusses the consumption of McDonald’s products by
primary school children in Taiwan. Basing our research on focus groups, we will
explore the problems of consumption learning and social reproduction; and the
parent/child relationship.
This paper argues that the economic, social and cultural differences
of families influence the McDonald’s experience. For younger children, parents
are the driving force behind McDonald’s consumerism, and there is little or no
negotiation between the two generations. For older children, however, the
impact of mass media and advertising is clearly seen in their consumer choices
regarding McDonald’s. These differing influences bear out Bourdieu’s theory
that McDonald’s consumption is a social or cultural practice that does more to
establish social differences than economic ones.
Keywords:
children, consumption, McDonald’s, fast food, the sociology of food
Tourist Gaze as the Cultural Governance: Jiangs,
Mainland Tourists and the (De)Politicization of Tourism
Chun-Kai
Woo
Ph.D
Student, Department of Geography, National Taiwan University
Regarding tourism gaze as cultural governance, this paper analyses
the official and media discourses about the planning of the Cultural Resort of
the Jiang and the opening of Mainland Tourist to Taiwan and discusses how
tourism discourses represent otherness in the tourist landscape. I find that
discourses provide an economic imagination by highlighting policies’ economic
benefit and concealing their political meaning in order to depoliticize the
political aspects of Cross-Strait tourism. In the context of depoliticized
economic imagination, Taoyuan County Government promotes the concept of
“Jiangs” as a tourism theme image and emphasize the economical benefit of
“Jiangs” to the local as well as the state, while the hidden is the political
controversy of Jiangs’ governance in Taiwan.
Also, the ruling Kuomintang government, insisting on the principle
of “shelving differences”, regards the visiting of Mainland Tourist as an
economic opportunity for the Cross-Strait tourism development and depoliticizes
the political controversy in the trans-border mobility of Mainland Tourist.
However, the political controversy cannot be shelved but only concealed. Allowing
Mainland Tourist to tour Taiwan independently reveals the contradiction between
the economic integration and political controversy in the Cross-Strait
relation.
Keywords:
Tourist gaze, Taiwan, Mainland Tourist, Cultural Resort of the Jiangs, Cultural
governance
Cultural Reproduction and Gender in Nationalism: On
the Gendered Nationalist Project of the Sorbian Minority in Germany
Fen-Fang
Tsai
Assistant
Professor, Graduate Institute of Hakka Social and Cultural Studies, National
Central University
Drawing on the intersections of gender, nation and nationalism, this
study aims to disclose the gendered aspect involved in the Sorbian national
project in Germany. The process in which Sorbian women are integrated and get
involved in national project is rendered visible in the concept of “serbska
mać” (the Sorbian Mother) who are made the bearers of the Sorbian culture,
language, tradition and ethnicity in the Sorbian discourse.
However, as the empirical data based on women’s life experiences
shows, the concept of tradition usually deemed as “the given” content of
culture is transformed from the continuity of the past to social practice.
Tradition is no longer a static ethnic and cultural essence and attribute, but
rather engendered in the process of reinvention and re-interpretation, and it
is dynamic and changing. Sorbian women dressed in traditional Sorbian costumes
are not seen as the representatives of Sorbian culture any more, rather the
acting agents whose dress practices illustrate the intertwining of social
practices and life experiences. The connotation of the traditional Sorbian
costumes thus extends from the single dimension of ethnic symbol to multiple
identities constructed by the intersections of gender, ethnicity, culture and
society.
Keywords:
The Sorbs, nationalism, cultural reproduction, gender, traditional costumes
Research Note
On Intergenerational Justice
Chung-Cheng
Huang
Assistant
Professor, Institute of Law for Science and Technology, National Tsing Hua
University
How should the resources between the generations be distributed in
order to be considered just? Today, “intergenerational justice” has become the
most discussed topics in various fields.
In the present article, I aim to answer the following key questions:
1. What is intergenerational justice?
2. Why is intergenerational justice important?
3. How do we ensure intergenerational justice?
First of all, what is intergenerational justice? With this question,
I aim to clarify the concept of intergenerational justice. The second question
seeks to discuss the ethical foundation of intergenerational justice. Next, I
plan to shed light on how intergenerational justice should be ensured in the
(social) system. Finally, I will make suggestions about how we can ensure
intergenerational justice in the (social) system in Taiwan.
Keywords:
Generation, Justice, Intergenerational justice, Social justice
Book Review
A Review Essay on The
Development History of the Academic Discipline in the Republic of China
edited by Fan-Sen Wang
Chi-Kin
Au
Assistant
Professor, History Department, Hong Kong Shue Yan University
The direction of recent academic trends tends towards
professionalism. Undoubtedly, tertiary institutes play a crucial role in
nurturing professionals of various academic disciplines by developing
programmes and courses systematically, recognising professional bodies, and
publishing scholarly work. While the Republic of China celebrated the centenary
of her establishment in 2012, the National Chengchi University formed a
sizeable team to write and edit The Development History of the Academic
Discipline in the Republic of China, aiming at letting more people know the
establishment and development of the Republic of China and share with people
the Republic’s outstanding achievements.
The Development History of
the Academic Discipline in the Republic of China consists
of a series of six books, covering different areas including: “academic
development”, “politics and legal systems”, “social development”, “literature
and arts”, and “education and cultures”. The books provide valuable information
about the development of the Republic in different aspects since her
establishment, from 1912 to 2012. In particular, the two books about “academic
development”, edited by Professor Fan-Sen Wang, provide readers with both macro
and micro views on the Republic’s development in various academic disciplines
through assembling the viewpoints from different scholars. Through reading
these books, readers would have a more thorough understanding of the unique
character of the academic development in Taiwan.
Keywords:
The Academic Discipline in the Republic of China, internationalized the
academic product, transplant the academic discipline
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