Island Fantasia: Imagining Subjects on the Military Frontline between China and Taiwan

The Matsu archipelago was a military frontline in 1949, and this ethnography and social history explores how citizens redefined themselves and reimagined their society after the lifting of martial law in 1992. It discusses how islanders used both traditional and new media to cope with the conflicts and trauma of harsh military rule, forming new social imaginaries through the appearance of imagining subjects.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 250 pages
Publication date: 07 October 2021
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

The Matsu archipelago, once an isolated outpost off the southeast coast of China, found itself thrust into the forefront of a military frontline in 1949, as the Cold War and the Communist-Nationalist conflict escalated. The army took control of the islands, initiating a period of over 40 years of military rule that would profoundly impact the lives of its inhabitants. However, with the lifting of martial law in 1992, the people of the Matsu archipelago were faced with the daunting task of charting a course forward. This in-depth ethnography and social history delves into the ways in which individual citizens redefined themselves and reimagined their society in the aftermath of military rule. Drawing on extensive fieldwork spanning several decades, Wei-Ping Lin offers a captivating account of how islanders navigated the conflicts and traumas of harsh military rule. Through her analysis, she sheds light on the formation of new social imaginaries, as individuals began to imagine subjects and interrogate their subjectification processes. Lin also explores the diverse uses of mediating technologies as these individuals sought to address existential questions and navigate the complexities of their newfound realities. This title, published under an Open Access policy, makes its insights accessible to a wide audience, fostering understanding and dialogue on the enduring legacies of military rule and the resilience of the human spirit.

Weight: 488g
Dimension: 151 x 230 x 23 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781009010405
Edition number: New ed