“Americanophilia,” “Japanophilia,” and “Korea-philia”? Reflections on Taiwanese Subjectivity

• Main Authors: Hsu, Tzu-Ching, 許紫晴
• Other Authors: Lee, Jyun-Yi
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2013
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/30627855808254069296

碩士 === 國立中正大學 === 戰略暨國際事務研究所 === 101 === This thesis aims to bring together three cultural phenomena in contemporary Taiwan—“Japanophilia,” the co-existence of “Korea-philia” and “anti-Korean sentiment,” and the presence of absence of the “Americanophilia” idea—and discuss the possible mechanism behind. The mass consumption of Japanese cultural products in Taiwan has been there for a long time, and has stimulated a trend of mimicking and transplanting in the local industries. In recent years, a craze over Korean popular culture also seems to be rising. Despite the fever for Japanese and Korean cultural products, however, the reaction to and reflection on the so-called “Japanophilia” and “Korea-philia” vary within Taiwan society. In the mean time, “Americanophilia”—the embrace of American foods, films, ideas, institutions, etc.—is a reality that does exist but is rarely noticed and discussed. Inspired by some of the post-colonial thinkers, this thesis understands the phenomena as a reflection of “Self” and “Other” relations, that is, the United States, Japan and South Korea are three important references in the construction of Taiwanese subjectivity. To explain how the US, Japan, and South Korea have come to play an important role in Taiwan’s identity formation, this thesis places Taiwan’s relations with each country in historical contexts, specifically the East-Asian political and economic order in the Cold War. Taking up insights from Kuan-Hsing Chen and Naeem Inayatullah & David Blaney, this thesis presents a perspective of “hierarchical worldview” to account for the different impacts of the three Others on Taiwan.