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Pao Yue-kong Library, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong http://www.lib.polyu.edu.hk SCHOOL-TO-WORK TRANSITIONS IN THE BORDERLAND: CHOICES AND EXPERIENCES AMONG YOUTH FROM KINMEN, TAIWAN YANG CHIN-YI PhD The Hong Kong Polytechnic University 2020 The Hong Kong PolyteChniC University Department of Applied Social SCienCes School-to-Work Transitions in the Borderland: Choices and Experiences among Youth from Kinmen, Taiwan Yang Chin-Yi A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy January 2020 CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINALITY I hereby declare that this thesis is my own work and that, to the best of my knowledge and belief, it reproduces no material previously published or written, nor material that has been accepted for the award of any other degree or diploma, except where due acknowledgement has been made in the text. (Signed) _____________________________(NameYang, Chin-Yi of student) Gina i AbstraCt Young people are sensitive to rapid social transformations. Located in the southwest of the main island of Taiwan and only six kilometres to the east of Xiamen, China, Kinmen County was placed under War Zone Administration (WZA) during the Cold War and experienced a state of siege for forty-three years. After 1992, Kinmen has quickly transformed from being a war frontier to become a frontline borderland for business and politics between Taiwan and China. Due to the geographical and historical periphery position of Kinmen, the school-to-work transition for Kinmen young people is bonded and complicated with decision- making processes of migration. This study thus investigates how decisions of education, employment and migration made by young people growing up in the marginal area—Kinmen, are affected by the impact of globaliZation, and its interaction with state power and local contexts. Fieldwork was conducted in three sites-- Kinmen, the main island of Taiwan and Mainland China. Youth in this research refers to young people who were at various stages of school-to-work transition. The age of school-to-work transition is diverse across different social backgrounds. Based on a qualitative ethnographic study from 2016 to 2018, formal in- depth interviews were carried out with 34 research participants including 16 female and 18 male youth, aged from 20 to 35 years old. Informal conversations with participants through online mobile applications such as Line or Facebook Messenger were conducted as well. Furthermore, secondary data was also collected from online forums, news reports and government documents for a more comprehensive understanding of social, cultural and political issues affecting youth from Kinmen. Using a geopolitical lens to comprehend globaliZation, neoliberalism and ii cosmopolitanism, I propose a multi-layer framework of globaliZation interlocking with geopolitics, wider social structure and local topographies to understand the choices and experiences among youth. First, the uncertainties of young people in Kinmen stem from the ambiguous cross-strait relationship where the livelihood of young people is highly bonded with state power in an era of globaliZation. Secondly, the introduction of cross-border consumers and transnational corporations into Kinmen has revealed how effects of transnational capitalism and neoliberal globaliZation have led to increasingly individualiZed and insecure work environments for local youth. Thirdly, young people’s migration decisions and risk management techniques are affected by competing factors of economic power and cultural flows under the processes of globaliZation. Four types of youth are therefore identified: stay- at-home observer, pursuer of cosmopolitan, great-power dreamer, and cross-border traveller. Meanwhile, traditional gender norms which has been reinforced by the prevailing patriarchal clan culture in Kinmen, deeply interlocked with social position of class and the unique ethnic identity of being Kinmenese, have all contributed to interweavingly influence young people’s decisions-making processes against a background of globaliZation. iii Acknowledgements My interest in sociology started when I was working in feminist non-profit organiZations in Taiwan. I learnt to understand various seemingly single social events from a structural perspective. Therefore, I am grateful to my work partners, Keng-yu, Chiwei, especially Yumei and Chienling, who later have become both mentors and friends to me. I want to express my deepest gratitude to my supervisor Professor Anita Ching-Hua Koo. In the course of more than four years of learning, I always feel that I am so fortunate to have met her. The path of conducting academic research is lonely, but not necessarily painful, this is the biggest lesson that I have learnt from Professor Koo. I was always nervous about my thesis. But each time after our supervision meeting, I left her office with a smile. How amaZing it is. She patiently discussed with me about the difficulties I encountered in my research and guided me with her professional knowledge all the time. She comforted me when I blamed myself for not performing well enough academically. I still feel touched by her when I am writing this note of acknowledgement. I thank my research participants— every young person from Kinmen. This thesis could not be completed without their valuable life experiences and trust in me. I also want to thank the supervisor of my Master’s thesis, Professor Wang Tsai -Wei. She has always given me support and positive affirmation when I am not confident of myself, so that I can hold my head up high and move forward. I began my journey of sociological research because of an opportunity to translate the academic book and article of Professor Travis Kong a few years back. I was very fortunate to translate his works. During the process of translation, I learnt how a sociologist, with his acute insights and warm compassion, conducted meticulous dialogues between sociological theories and social phenomena. iv Thank you Professor Agnes Shuk -Mei Ku and Professor Hsia Hsiao-Chuan for your positive words and critical comments during the oral examination of my thesis. My warmest gratitude also goes out to Professor Ben Hok-Bun Ku, administrative staff Fanny Cheng, Jovy Ho, Milly Chu, especially Shirley Hui. Administration work is often behind-the-scene but most indispensable. My heartfelt appreciation and thanks to my friends, Hsinpei, Shih-I, Leepeng, Valerie, Jaden “Pee” Peng, Vincent Hsueh, Shi-Yan, Missbee Ong and Xiao-Fan. I have never felt alone even when we’re so far from each other and didn’t get to see each other much at all. Ee Ling and Shawna, you’ve encouraged me on my academic journey. I value our friendship very much. Thank you to all my friends in Hong Kong. Dr. Tommy Tse, your warm and encouraging words make me feel that I can aim higher and higher. You have never doubted my intellectual ability. Bing and Ann, you are my trusted friends whom I know I can always count on. To Alice, Chou Autumn, Marykay, Un, Onna, WY Chan, SZe Chuen, Natalie Leung, Queenie, Shirley and friends of Yuen Long group: because of all of you, I feel a sense of belonging as a Taiwanese in Hong Kong. Finally, I want to thank my dearest parents and family members in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Canada. I care about you all the time although I am not around. I feel sorry for not being able to accompany and take care of my parents who are getting older. Exceptional thanks to my three sisters and their partners. Without the love of my sisters, I can not go on this new journey of life, stay strong and be brave. Dear cat Ding and poop-picker MB, thank you for your company, patience and infinite love. The Meow of Ding is the best music and alarm when writing this thesis. Great care from MB allows me to recover from the seemingly endless work of thesis writing every morning. No words can express my gratitude except for tears. I thank myselF for my own persistence and for working hard to complete this meaningful thesis. This v thesis is not only about the stories being documented but also the production process by itself is a memorable story. vi Table of Contents CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINALITY i Abstract ii Acknowledgements iv Introduction 1 Prologue: A Trip to the Borderland 1 1.1 Research Background 5 1.1.1 Post-war economic development and demographic growth 7 1.1.2 National, regional, and ethnic identities From the Cold War to post-war period 15 1.1.3 Traditional patriarchy and gender relations in modern Kinmen society 17 1.2 Research themes and questions 30 1.3 Organization of thesis 34 TheoretiCal Framework 37 2.1 Overview 37 2.2 The geo/politics of youth in a global economy: An insight on Kinmen youth 37 2.3 Globalization, neoliberalism and youth employment 40 2.4 Controversy and policies over employment-oriented educational migration 48 2.5 Gender and class in a global world 54 2.5.1 Gender ideology and the gendered impact of globalization 55 2.5.2 A Bourdieusian approach to the youth migration decision-making process 58 2.6 Towards an integrated analysis of young people’s decision-making process 61 ResearCh Methodology 64 It’s just a matter of time.