HÀNWÉN and TAIWANESE SUBJECTIVITIES: a GENEALOGY of LANGUAGE POLICIES in TAIWAN, 1895-1945 by Hsuan-Yi Huang a DISSERTATION S
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HÀNWÉN AND TAIWANESE SUBJECTIVITIES: A GENEALOGY OF LANGUAGE POLICIES IN TAIWAN, 1895-1945 By Hsuan-Yi Huang A DISSERTATION Submitted to Michigan State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Curriculum, Teaching, and Educational Policy—Doctor of Philosophy 2013 ABSTRACT HÀNWÉN AND TAIWANESE SUBJECTIVITIES: A GENEALOGY OF LANGUAGE POLICIES IN TAIWAN, 1895-1945 By Hsuan-Yi Huang This historical dissertation is a pedagogical project. In a critical and genealogical approach, inspired by Foucault’s genealogy and effective history and the new culture history of Sol Cohen and Hayden White, I hope pedagogically to raise awareness of the effect of history on shaping who we are and how we think about our self. I conceptualize such an historical approach as effective history as pedagogy, in which the purpose of history is to critically generate the pedagogical effects of history. This dissertation is a genealogical analysis of Taiwanese subjectivities under Japanese rule. Foucault’s theory of subjectivity, constituted by the four parts, substance of subjectivity, mode of subjectification, regimen of subjective practice, and telos of subjectification, served as a conceptual basis for my analysis of Taiwanese practices of the self-formation of a subject. Focusing on language policies in three historical events: the New Culture Movement in the 1920s, the Taiwanese Xiāngtǔ Literature Movement in the early 1930s, and the Japanization Movement during Wartime in 1937-1945, I analyzed discourses circulating within each event, particularly the possibilities/impossibilities created and shaped by discourses for Taiwanese subjectification practices. I illustrate discursive and subjectification practices that further shaped particular Taiwanese subjectivities in a particular event. The analysis of language policies and issues in the three events suggests that Hànwén, the Classical Chinese language, endured during the entire colonial period of Japanese occupation. Hànwén was versatile in different linguistic forms and literary genres, which were performed for different political purposes. The variety of Hànwén practices continued to shape possibilities and impossibilities for Taiwanese practices of the self. DEDICATION To my mother-in-law, Li Yeh T’ao-tzu (李葉桃仔), whose love and understanding made possible my intellectual pursuit in the United States; to my sisters and brothers who have honored my intellectual endeavors abroad, assisted me in collecting historical sources from Taiwan, and considerately taken over responsibility of taking care of my parents; to my parents, whose endless love and care have been an essential part of my life; most importantly, to my husband, Li Hsin-Lin (李信霖), who without a doubt lovingly joined with me during this long journey, has unwaveringly offered emotional and intellectual support, and has been a valuable part of this dissertation. iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS My historical research for this dissertation has received invaluable support from many people and resources at Michigan State University (MSU). First of all, I wish to thank the College of Education at MSU, which awarded me the Summer Renewable Fellowship in 2011 and 2012 for supporting my preliminary exploration of archives in Taiwan and analysis of historical sources here in the U.S. I am also grateful to the recommendation of my home department, the Department of Teacher Education, and of the College of Education, for my dissertation research to the Graduate School at MSU, which awarded me the Dissertation Completion Fellowship. This fellowship has been a great support in completion of my dissertation. I would like to express my deepest gratitude to Dr. Lynn Fendler and Dr. Jeff Bale, who co-directed my dissertation. During my years at MSU, I have always felt grateful of having Dr. Lynn Fendler as my advisor; she has enlightened me in the study of the history of my country, and guided me into a most intellectually rewarding journey of Foucaultian genealogy and New Culture History. I have been inspired and stimulated to wonder “what it is possible/impossible to think” by provocative discussions of historiography and philosophy of education with her in person and in her classes over the years. Her continuous support, guidance, and encouragement have meant a lot to my personal and intellectual life. I am also grateful to Dr. Bale, who generously included me in his team of preparing World Languages teachers, from which my knowledge and skills in foreign language teaching and curriculum have been broadened. As a Marxist historian in language policy, Dr. Jeff Bale has kept me aware of the materiality in the v discursive practices of history. His insights and expertise, in combination with Dr. Fendler’s guidance, have shaped my dissertation into a particular pedagogical history. I also owe a special debt to the members of my dissertation committee—Dr. Kyle Greenwalt and Dr. Doug Hartman. I have appreciated the opportunity of working with and learning from them during my years at MSU. They have provided generous and warm support for my intellectual pursuit in humanities-oriented inquiry and in the history of literacy in the U.S. Their thoughtful comments and insightful questions have opened up my thinking about history and the historical work in my dissertation. Special thanks must also go to Dr. Douglas Campbell, who has always provided timely assistance in reviewing my writings over the years. Dr. Campbell’s meticulous edits and useful advice have sharpened my writings and helped me improve as a writer. I very much value his time and discussions with me on critical and pedagogical topics in my writings. I am also particularly grateful to the Critical Studies Reading Group, led by my adviser, Dr. Lynn Fendler, in College of Education at MSU. Readings and discussions in this group have been stimulating and generative, and they have broadened my theoretical knowledge from other academic fields, such as history, social theory, philosophy of education, and literature. I have been cultivated by this group toward being a critical, ethical scholar. I also wish to thank the staff in the Interlibrary Service at MSU Libraries, particularly Xian Wu, Huei Wang, and Andrea Salazar. With their advice and assistance, I gained access to an abundance of primary and secondary sources on the history of Taiwan under Japanese rule in Taiwan and in other universities in the U.S. Those sources have been invaluable to my dissertation research and to expansion of my knowledge about Taiwan. vi Finally, I honor the historical work of pioneers in the field of Taiwan Studies, particularly in the history of Taiwan under Japanese rule, 1895-1945. The historical writings about education, Japanese and Taiwanese language movements, and Taiwanese Literature have served as invaluable resources and references for my historical dissertation. vii A NOTE ON ROMANIZATION This dissertation applies the Romanization conventions currently used in scholarly practices. Chinese and Japanese proper names begin with surnames, followed by given names. The Hanyu Pinyin (漢語拼音) system is adopted for Chinese names and references. For the convenience of international readers, Chinese Romanizations are supplemented with tone marks, Chinese characters, and English translations. Romanized Japanese names are supplemented with Chinese translation. When names and places have been Romanized in a specific Romanization system, their original forms are observed. For example, most contemporary Taiwanese authors and places in Taiwan have been Romanized in the Wade-Giles System, with apostrophes omitted, and some Taiwanese author’s names have been Romanized based on Hoklo (a Taiwanese language) pronunciation. viii TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter One A Discursive Practice of Knowing Taiwan .................................................................................1 Naming the Island ................................................................................................................1 The International Character of Taiwan Created by New Histories......................................6 The Immigrant Character of Taiwan ..................................................................................12 A Pedagogical Intervention of History .....................................................................................18 The Structure of the Dissertation ..............................................................................................22 Preliminary Notes ..............................................................................................................22 The Structure ......................................................................................................................25 Chapter Two What Kind of Historian Am I? ..................................................................................................32 A Genealogical Approach ..................................................................................................32 A Critical Approach into the Present .................................................................................35 A Focus on Language ........................................................................................................39 The Linguistic Turn Approach...........................................................................................44 The Poetic History Implied by Hayden White ...................................................................51 The Analytical Tool ..................................................................................................................56