FRONTIER OF AMBIGUITY: EXPLORING IDENTITY AND RECOGNITION AMONG HOKLO SETTLERS IN QING TAIWAN
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55197/qjssh.v7i1.967Keywords:
marginalization, minnan immigrants, Qing Taiwan, uncertainty, identityAbstract
This study adopts "marginalization" as a theoretical perspective to explore the historical circumstances and social behavior of Minnan (Hoklo or Southern Fujian) immigrants in Taiwan during the Qing Dynasty. The research context lies in the Qing court's passive governance of Taiwan under the principle of "administering Taiwan to guard against Taiwan," which led to an "institutional vacuum" and "fragmentation of authority," trapping immigrants in a state of "dual alienation" regarding their identity. The research motivation stems from the fact that existing studies have failed to effectively link macro-structural factors with micro-psychological aspects while lacking a systematic explanation of the logic behind marginalized experiences. To address this, this study aims to reconstruct the generative logic of Minnan immigrants’ identity formation and social behavior, incorporating theories of "uncertainty" and anxiety to deepen the analysis. The research methodology employs a qualitative approach that combines historical document analysis with theoretical construction, establishing an analytical framework of "structure–psychology–action" and examining case studies such as the Zhu Yigui and Lin Shuangwen uprisings. The findings reveal that the marginalized situation in Qing-era Taiwan resulted from the mutual reinforcement of institutional exclusion and social contradictions. The behavior of Minnan immigrants exhibited a progressive spectrum from "passive adaptation" to "passive resistance" and ultimately to "active rebellion." Their uprisings represented extreme attempts by marginalized groups to break through “passive uncertainty” in their quest for recognition and dignity.
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