Pacific Affairs: An International Review of Asia and the Pacific

Volume 72, No. 4

 

Social Science and National Identity: A Critique
By Shelley Rigger

 

Abstract

This article argues that social scientists and political leaders on Taiwan have erred by conceiving of the national identity issue as a conflict between independence and unification. A better approach would give more attention to other options, including the indefinite extension of the status quo. The article summarizes the evolution of survey research on the national identity issue and critiques the two major methods used to measure national identity in Taiwan, the National Taiwan University method and the National Chengchi University method.