Sex and Gender Relations in Taiwan in the 20th and 21st Centuries

In this class, we will discuss sex and gender relations in Taiwan from different disciplinary perspectives. A mere 50 years ago, Taiwan was viewed as a predominantly rural society imbued with conservative, patriarchal values. Today, it is the first country in Asia to legally recognize same-sex marriage and has a higher representation of women in parliament than any European country outside of the Nordics. How did this rapid change come about? And does Taiwan defying global trends towards more conservative values make it a haven for gender equality? After first engaging developments in the 20th and 21st centuries in a longitudinal, historical manner, we will then focus on a variety of current issues, including where sex and gender intersect with other identities and positionalities, such as class and nationality. The course is reserved for MA students; please contact me in advance if you’d like to participate but are not an MA student. While I target students with prior knowledge of Taiwan, comparative perspectives are healthy and most welcome. Participation without any background in Taiwan studies is thus possible if you’re willing to dig into the Taiwanese case studies.