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Heroic tales can support a nation's mainstream ideology, but for minority groups, such as indigenous peoples, they can also be a detrimental oppositional force. This study explores the evolving discourse surrounding the tale of Wu Feng, arguably the most widespread and prominent narrative responsible for traumatizing indigenous peoples in Taiwan. Employing a critical discourse analysis of three texts from significant historical eras (Taiwan under Japanese rule, the martial-law era under the Nationalist Kuomintang's rule, and the beginning of Taiwan's indigenous rights movements), the study reveals the shifting portrayal of Taiwan's indigenous peoples over time. Additionally, by incorporating data obtained by interviewing key stakeholders, it discusses the enduring ramifications of the tale for Taiwan's indigenous communities. In conclusion, this paper urges that increased attention be directed toward recognizing the voices and experiences of minorities as represented in historical tales, to ensure greater inclusivity and balance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Undergraduate research paper has long been a tradition in US freshman composition programs, although whether the research paper should or can be taught in the English department continues to be debated. In many of the English departments in Taiwan, students are also required to compose a research paper for their composition class. However, there has been little research conducted on the writing process and on the student perceptions of this specific genre in an EFL learning context. This qualitative study, involving one American instructor and seven Taiwanese college students majoring in English, traced a research writing project, carried out as part of the writing curriculum, from start to finish. Three semi-structured interviews were conducted with each of the students in the beginning, middle and end of the research project. The findings indicate that the students saw information arrangement and display as the main purpose of the research paper. For various reasons, the students perceived the research project as beneficial, although during the implementation of the project they encountered difficulties such as time and resource constraints, problems with using sources in Chinese, difficulties with synthesizing information from multiple sources, among others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents findings from an investigation of nature-based practices, from the perspectives of 10 academics/educators from six nations. Participants engaged in a focus group exploring the prevalence and inclusion of nature in social work practice and education. While the study focused on individual members' experiences and perspectives, the findings highlight important context-specific factors for including nature within social work to reconnect humans with nature for health, well-being, healing, and justice. An Integrative Environmental Model for social work is proposed to assist future practice and education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the Taiwanese same-sex marriage debates from a particular analytical perspective: (1) how the identity as a mother is employed as stancetaking moves in both the supporting and opposing discourses, and (2) how stances are taken through intertextual links among the same-sex marriage-related discourses and the larger discourses concerning motherhood. It examines the online posts of two mother bloggers, focusing on how evaluative stances and parodic frames are achieved and how intertextual links help both bloggers to align or misalign themselves with particular value positions. The analysis reveals how the mother identity, traditionally situated in the private sphere, can be mobilized to advance arguments in political debates. It also exemplifies the ideological contestation about motherhood and family in Taiwan, where traditional Chinese cultural ideologies and Western influences co-exist. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Informality is a common urban experience among cities in the Global South. Given the thin social welfare and weak regulations, the urban subaltern has therefore had to improvise housing and employment in order to survive. Urban informality is hence conceived as a negotiation process through which spatial value is produced. However, under the current wave of urban entrepreneurialisation, informality is often deemed to be inefficient and unproductive in the new economy that the local governments are trying to build. Many of the informal settlements have been subject to demolition in order to make room for new urban development projects. With the cases of waterfront regeneration projects in Taipei, this paper argues that entrepreneurialism and informality are not necessarily mutually exclusive. Rather, through their co-evolution, urban informality actually contributes to the variegation of urban entrepreneurialism. This paper demonstrates how the urban squatters have managed to re-engage informality and urban development by actively participating in the shaping of the entrepreneurial discourses, reinventing their informal settlements as a key feature that contributes to the city’s economic development. However, although this entwining of entrepreneurialism and informality has brought new opportunities to the informal settlements, it has at the same time presented new threats to their current way of life. By focusing on the entrepreneurialising of urban informality, this paper offers a grounded perspective on the ways in which the urban subaltern has reacted to the unfolding urban entrepreneurialism in Taiwan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Medical waste management in Taiwan is a crucial issue due to its highly environmental and human health risks. The main objectives of this paper were to analyse the status of medical waste generation and treatment in recent years, and also address the discussions on the impacts of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on its generation in the first half of 2020. It showed that the reported quantities have slightly increased from 35,747 metric tonnes (Mt) in 2016 to 40,407 Mt in 2019, showing an average increase by 4.17%. This rate of increase was consistent with the hospital services. When classified by the reported codes, the C-type waste (infectious waste) accounted for about 89% of the reported quantities, which indicated an annual increase by 4.14% during the same period. In addition, the medical waste treatment in 2019 was mainly dependent on the commissioned treatment (80.18%), followed by the recycling (18.53%) and the self-treatment (1.29%). Furthermore, the impact of COVID-19 on the medical waste generation in Taiwan was not significant in the first half of 2020 compared to the data during the years of 2016–2019. It was indicated that the consistent trend was observed at the daily confirmed COVID-19 cases in Taiwan during this period. Obviously, the reduction in the hospital medical services during the COVID-19 outbreak should be offset by the increase in medical waste generation from the medical services. In order to try to ensure safe and complete destruction of the COVID-19 virus, all the waste generated from the healthcare facilities should be treated in the incineration plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Urban Studies (Sage Publications, Ltd.) is the property of Sage Publications, Ltd. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

With the mass production and consumption of single-use plastics and other plastic products, plastic waste management and its resulting microplastic pollution have become the most noteworthy environmental issues. The main objectives of this paper were to review the regulatory measures for plastic waste reduction and recycling, analyse the trend changes on the recycled amounts of regulated plastic containers and also address the discussions on the impacts of COVID-19 on the expected increase in plastic waste. In the past two decades, the central competent authority (i.e. Environmental Protection Administration (EPA)) in Taiwan has promulgated some regulations governing plastic waste reduction and recycling, especially plastic containers. Based on the official statistics, it showed that total certified amounts of regulated plastic containers have increased from 45,552 tonnes in 1998 to 194,133 tonnes in 2019. This shift was in line with circular economy policies by the Zero Waste Program and Resource Recycling and Reuse Plan launched by the Taiwan EPA during this period. On the other hand, the COVID-19 pandemic will impact on the regulatory policies for plastic waste management because the excess use of regulated plastic products will be temporarily permitted due to the epidemic prevention and control measures. Although the increased proportion of plastic waste in municipal solid waste (MSW) will be beneficial for the energy efficiencies of waste-to-power systems in MSW incineration plants, the recycling and reduction rates of regulated plastic containers or products could decline during the COVID-19 breakout. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a quantitative methodology and an empirical case study in Taiwan on modelling municipal solid waste (MSW) discards based on the consumption and MSW policy effects through a simultaneous equation system (SES) model. The results indicate that per capita consumption expenditures on 'food', 'household appliances' and 'amusement & education' are associated with the changes of the discards of most of the waste streams in Taiwan from 1992 to 2004. The developed model, meanwhile, identifies the effects of several important MSW policy measures. With regard to the model implication, consumers could try to reduce their unnecessary consumption, producers may rethink their responsibility on reducing MSW discards, and municipalities could evaluate the effectiveness of the existing policy measures to improve it upon based on the quantitative analysis. The backcasts and estimates of the discards of MSW streams could enable the planning, designing and executing of MSW system. The findings of this study would facilitate the consumer behaviour and support the policy design towards a low-waste-discard society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on resolving a defect of population-based urban sprawl analysis from a land-use planning perspective. This defect is indicated for a few metropolitan areas, which have experienced a controversial phenomenon of population decentralisation but with potential household centralising force. With the emphasis on household movement, this paper first aims to clarify the role of populations, households and employment that characterises urban sprawl and to check if unmet housing demand in city centres can be identified. Second, we evaluate the influence of household distribution factors, such as unmet housing and land-use related factors, on spatial-structure-based compactness/sprawl, taking time lag into consideration. A new classification of urban forms is developed to identify potential residential centripetal market forces. Additionally, the housing demand generation-distribution + push-accessibility-pull (GD+PAP) analysis framework is applied. The results of an empirical study on the Taipei metropolitan area between 1980–1990 and 1990–2000 suggest that the most significant policy towards compactness is high density. We recommend a prioritisation in city centres, particularly when housing demand is underserved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

All countries recognize the importance of enhancing circular resource utilization and promoting zero waste in order to achieve a circular economy. This study focuses on 22 counties (cities) in Taiwan and analyses the relationship between changes in resource recovery efficiency and productivity over an 8-year period (2011–2018) using the super efficiency directional distance function and total factor productivity. The results indicate that the average total efficiency of resource recovery in the 22 counties (cities) is 1.3951, with 17 counties (cities) exceeding 1. The average gross productivity of resource recovery is 1.0417, and only four counties have a gross productivity of less than 1. Despite having more administrative resources, municipalities directly under the central government have a slightly lower average total efficiency of resource recovery (1.1464) than non-municipalities (1.4885). To improve efficiency, the government should allocate resources rationally and upgrade technology. The study's findings can serve as a reference for the 22 counties (cities) in Taiwan and provide guidance for municipal governments worldwide in developing policies related to resource recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Social Compass is the property of Sage Publications, Ltd. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

We examined hashtag activism promoting Taiwan's participation in the global efforts to combat COVID-19. We employed the computational Analysis of Topic Model Networks (ANTMN) to examine the discourse around the #TaiwanCanHelp/#TWforWHO campaign in 2020 (N = 163,876) on Twitter. Our model identified 35 topics clustered within three frames. The containment frame emphasized strategies used to stop COVID-19's spread in Taiwan. The geopolitics frame described China's use of its international power to exclude Taiwan from the World Health Organization. The international cooperation frame emphasized Taiwan's ability and efficacy to contribute to the global efforts to slow down COVID-19. These results extend our understanding of hashtag activism by examining the intersection of geopolitics and global health crises. We introduce the theoretical concept of a mutually beneficial coalition, one that points to detrimental impacts of oppression on both the oppressed and the allies who are asked to help. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

World-wide, common interest development (CID) and its governance, homeowners’ associations (HOAs), are developing rapidly. However, numerous conflicts have given rise to the need to redefine governmental and market roles in current HOA governance. This paper examines the successful development of the NangKang Software Park (NKSP) in Taiwan and draws conclusions for alternative government and other parties involved in neighbourhood management. There are several factors contributing to NKSP’s success, one being early governmental participation in the institutional design, which assisted in minimising potential conflicts. Another is NKSP’s external property management company, whose rent-seeking incentives were hindered through market competition. A third element of NKSP’s success was its HOA’s human resource management in its industrial neighbourhood. The results from this study suggest that HOA governance may be very suitable for industrial districts and may also provide a globally applicable solution for CID and HOA development. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Offers a historical account of the relationship between the media and politics in Taiwan. Relevance of this relationship to the democratic process in the country; History of journalism in Taiwan; Details on the close link between the media and the Nationalist Party or Kuomintang (KMT) in Taiwan; Concepts of the state and civil society used to investigate the changing structures and dynamics of the social and political system.

Vocabulary learning strategies have been frequently viewed as a practical tool to facilitate the acquisition of words and enhance comprehension and production in communication. Previous research suggests that vocabulary learning strategies are a multidimensional construct. This study attempts to validate a vocabulary learning strategies questionnaire using rigorous validation procedures. A questionnaire with 52 items from Gu (2018) was administered to 556 university students in Taiwan. Data were analyzed using exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis with SPSS 23.0 and AMOS 23.0, respectively. The results showed that a validated short version of the questionnaire, comprising 33 items, can be used as a measurement tool to assess strategy use and be used when administration time is limited, or the assessment of vocabulary learning strategies is part of a larger number of variables. The second-order confirmatory factor analysis revealed that Activation, Visual and Auditory Encoding, Structure Encoding, Oral Repetition and Selective Attention were the top five important strategies related to vocabulary learning. Finally, the data revealed that it is possible to obtain plausible underlying constructs for a set of questionnaire items in exploratory factor analysis, while the discriminant and construct validity cannot be established in confirmatory factor analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crisis classifications are integral to COVID-19 press conferences. During the initial outbreak of the pandemic, public health officials classified the crisis status of the community. Depending on the status assigned, the community faced various consequences such as lockdowns and travel restrictions. This study traces Taiwanese health officials' classification practices across temporal orders and participation frameworks. I call this successive link of discursive practices 'crisis classifications in mobility' to elucidate the processes of category production and dissemination. The mobility moved from uncertainty to certainty as health officials and journalists negotiated whether the first death of COVID-19 constituted a sign of community infection or community spread. Officials deployed metadiscourse to render some categories mobile and others immobile. Journalists used metadiscourse to push forward candidate categories and animate conflicting accounts given by local experts and a global superpower. Classifications in mobility capture these challenges of deconstructing and reconstructing categories in building public consensus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Urban Studies (Sage Publications, Ltd.) is the property of Sage Publications, Ltd. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Genetically modified foods have become one of the most popular topics for deliberative exercises involving ordinary citizens worldwide. This paper examines the Taiwanese consensus conference on GM foods held in June 2008, and the implications and limitations of the public deliberations. The consensus conference facilitated multiparty dialogues and enhanced citizens’ knowledge, and affected their attitudes. This study demonstrates the ways contextual factors have influenced the outcome of the citizens’ deliberative practices, including the government’s conventional technocratic decision-making style, the strong influence of the U.S. government, the political and technological culture, the government’s framing of economic development concerns, and a lack of pressure from civil society to compel the government to formally respond to their concerns. The consensus conference had a limited effect on policy decision-making, and seemed to serve as a socio-political experiment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social media platforms not only provide young adults exposure to information about political and social affairs, but also opportunities to curate connections with influential public actors that can engender greater public expression and participation in civic life. We examine these dynamics using probability surveys of young adults in China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. Results across the three samples showed that social media connections with journalists and activists were positively related to exposure to and sharing of public affairs content. Sharing public affairs content on social media in turn was related to greater willingness to speak out about political and social issues beyond the social media platforms. These experiences further empower youth to engage in civic participation. This study elucidates the importance of public actors on social media as socialization agents for youth that can engender subsequent public expression and civic participation across societies with different political and media systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Equity of information access regardless of age, gender, origin or background is a guiding principle in library-related policies. It is generally considered that public libraries were founded in order to alleviate social injustice. Their use has enabled individual free access to information, stimulating an informed citizenship and aiding social inclusion. A lack of access to information in rural areas has been recognised as an urgent need which should be tackled globally. The purpose of this study is to examine whether children's mobile libraries in remote rural areas of Taiwan enhance social impact as an exemplar for similar regions globally. The design of the study adopted a qualitative strategy with generalised findings in order to capitalise on the exploratory, open-ended nature of social inclusion-related issues. It sought to understand how participants perceived the social impact of mobile libraries on children in rural areas, based on their lived experiences. Purposive sampling identified 23 participants from six public library authorities using the criteria of places visited, frequency and longevity of that service. Qualitative interviews with participants were audio recorded, transcribed and in some cases translated. Coding emerged from the analysis of sample interviews and qualitative content analysis was used. Four areas of social impact were identified: Reading development, community connection, social space, equality of opportunity. It was found that mobile libraries have a social impact on children in rural areas, enabling equity of information access and enhancing reading motivations. The children felt valued allowing them to contribute as members of society. No previous research has examined the lived experience of children in rural Taiwan. Different cultural expectations means that assumptions made from research conducted in the UK or America may not apply. This research has filled the gap of validated information about children's library services, rural mobile libraries and their social impact in non-western countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on a model that includes three sub-circuits, i.e. technology, culture, and market, this paper shows that the Asian online gaming market has its peculiarities, which are reflected in the case study of popular “cute” games in the Taiwanese market. Asian-oriented “cute” games are based on the themes of Japanese video game culture and Manga, thus creating an Asian-style amusement, which establishes friendly gameplay and an easy-to-use environment. Two types of “cute” games: girls’ games and children’s games, are well accepted by young females in their twenties and by children in the 10 to 15 age group, who are resident in Taiwan’s urban areas. Asian “cute” games present a form of cultural hybridity, a combination of American digital entertainment and Asian urbanized culture. They have become a form of cultural flow in the regional market, established on the basis of Asian modernity and consumerism. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this paper the author will utilize both anthropological and historical approaches to illustrate how religion and the State intersect in the Dajia Mazu pilgrimage. Moreover, she will critique the conventional binary model of sacred versus profane by demonstrating how these two concepts are intricately intertwined in the course of the Dajia pilgrimage. The article aims to: provide a brief introduction and background to the Dajia pilgrimage; explore how the pilgrimage route is determined; discuss the protagonists involved in the choice of the pilgrimage route – temple committee leaders and members, as well as local politicians; and examine how temple committee members exploit the pilgrimage to express dissent against the central government of Taiwan. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper explores how leadership and peer relation relate to the propensity of college music departments to develop transformational organizational culture. Our theory of relational leadership and peer relation has initially allowed us to formulate expectations for the affirmative impacts of professional and personal leadership and peer relation on the expansion of transformational culture. The samples are taken from the full-time college professors in Taiwanese music departments. The results demonstrate the significant importance of professional leadership and peer relation to the growth of transformational culture; however, the intimate personal relations fail to make contributions to the prediction. The larger implication is that professionalism in leadership and peer relationships is a major determinant of music department disposition in bolstering transformational organizational culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the stationarity properties and long-run relationship of Taiwan’s regional house prices from 1993Q1 to 2009Q2. It applies the recent unit-root test of the panel seemingly unrelated regressions augmented Dickey–Fuller (SURADF) test developed by Breuer et al. The empirical results illustrate that Taiwan’s regional house prices are a mixture of stationary and non-stationary processes, showing that the stationarity properties of these prices are dependent on the structure and properties of the various regions. Secondly, the findings of the cointegration test provide substantive evidence for a long-run relationship among all regions except Taipei City, implying a diffusion of regional house prices among each regional market except Taipei City. Finally, the results of the weak exogeneity test indicate that uni-directional causality relationships exist for three regions—Taipei County, Taoyuan-Hsinchu and Tainan-Kaohsiung—towards Taichung. The regional house price efficiently diffuses itself among these regions, caused by a much smaller public housing sector and the pre-sale system in Taiwan. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The Taiwan High Speed Rail (THSR) passes through the Southern Taiwan Science Park (STSP) where the high-tech fabs inside are very sensitive to ground vibrations. In order to characterize the attenuation of ground vibration with distance in STSP, a series of small-scale in-situ vibration tests were conducted at STSP sites before the operation of THSR. The tests include falling weight tests and shaking tests which were performed on the ground surface, on shallow foundation, and on prototype pile foundation. For falling weight tests, hammer weights of 80, 120, 220, 260, 430 kN and drop heights of 0.5 m—3.0 m were adopted to generate different levels of ground vibration. For shaking tests, exciters that can generate harmonic loads up to 100 or 200 kN were used for ground vibration tests. For all tests, the ground vibrations at various distances were monitored to deduce the associated attenuation coefficients. In this paper, results of all falling weight tests and shaking tests are summarized and compared with those of in-situ measurements of ground vibrations induced by the test runs of THSR trains. Conclusions show that the results of small-scale falling weight vibration tests can be used to predict the decay of ground vibration induced by the operation of high speed trains. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper applies the bounded rationality rule to analyse commuters' mode-switching behaviour from private transport (i.e. automobile and motorbike) to public transport (i.e. rail transit and bus transit) in the Taipei metropolitan area. A stated choice approach was used to collect the data and to investigate how different attributes, such as parking fees, travel time and cost, influence commuters' mode-switching behaviour. A multinomial probit modelling framework was developed to capture the correlation effects when commuters switch from private to public modes. The estimation results indicate that the socioeconomic characteristics and trip characteristics significantly influence commuters' mode-switching behaviour. Accounting for the structure of unobserved effects suggests that switching behaviour from private to public modes was significantly positively correlated. An elasticity analysis shows that private commuters were more likely to switch to MRT than to bus and that auto commuters are generally more likely to switch to public modes than are motorbike commuters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper illustrates an English for Specific Purposes design for English listening and speaking for students in hospitality fields, accompanied by an educational inquiry into its implementation in a bid to hold accountability to the course takers. The subject was 82 juniors and seniors at a national hospitality college in Southern Taiwan. Questionnaires, achievement tests and classroom observation were research instruments in the inquiry. The statistical evidences of the study have demonstrated the effectiveness of the ESP listening and speaking course. This ESP class, characterized by a synthesis of language-oriented, skills-oriented and learning-oriented approaches to ESP syllabus design is harvested with fruitful achievements: incremental gain in their ESP content knowledge and skills (the outcome of the language-oriented syllabus), strengthening the ability of searching for and organizing information for conducting English presentations (the outcome of the skills-oriented syllabus) and, above all, the achievement in cooperative team spirit build up (the outcome of the learning-oriented syllabus). The study also provides valuable reference for subsequent design and implementation of related ESP courses in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines public perceptions of the nuclear waste repository on Orchid Island, Taiwan and how differing perceived risk and knowledge of nuclear waste might relate to worldviews, culture and social experiences. The majority of the aboriginalYami groups' perceptions of the impacts of the nuclear waste repository contrast sharply with the Taiwanese migrants' view on technology and environmental problems. ElderlyYami tend to regard nuclear waste as "evil ghosts."At the same time, ambivalence and expressions of uncertainty about the risk prevail amongst Yami employed by Taipower (Taiwan Power Company), the generator of these evil ghosts. For many of the Taiwanese migrants, theYami's invariable objection to the nuclear waste repository is shaped by an exclusionary attitude toward anything foreign-i.e., a tribal resistance to the dominant Taiwanese society. The disputes over the nuclear waste repository reflect not just the Yami's fear of risk, but also the complexity of political and social relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on a study that investigated students' learning to self-assess oral performance in English by comparing student assessment with teacher assessment. Twenty-eight Chinese students at a university in southern Taiwan participated in the study. The assessment program involved training, observation, evaluation, discussion, feedback, and response, including two weeks of training and 10 weeks of two-cycle assessment. The assessment components were developed by the teacher and students collaboratively during the first week. The criteria included four elements within a five-level scoring standard. Comparison between self- and teacher assessment was analyzed in terms of scores and comments given over two assessment cycles. Results showed that self- and teacher ratings differed significantly in the first cycle of assessment, but were closely aligned in the second. Comments generated by students themselves in the second cycle were more similar to the teacher's, becoming more positive and constructive. A majority of the students favored participation in assessment and considered self-assessment conducive to learning. This study demonstrated that through feedback and practice, participating students make significant progress in learning to assess their own oral performance and that inviting students to be assessment partners helps Chinese students achieve desired learning outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Toastmasters is a widely recognized international club that aims to develop and enhance the art of public speaking by offering participants educational programmes and chances to speak before groups. This article reports on the integration of the Toastmasters approach to an EFL oral-communication class in Taiwan. As both the author of this study and the teacher of an EFL course, I organized the course content and the course delivery that this paper describes. At the end of the semester, the participants completed a written questionnaire that asked their opinions about the effectiveness of this unorthodox teaching approach. Students enthusiastically reported that they had improved their proficiency in public speaking and that they had made gains in various skill areas. Drawing on these experiences, this article addresses the value of a Toastmasters approach to foreign-language curricular design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents three consecutive studies on the effect of extensive reading on the development of reading and vocabulary for Taiwanese university non- English majors. Each study used a different approach, with subsequent studies adjusting the methodology in response to the results of the previous year. These results confirm other findings, using different subjects in other countries, that (1) extensive reading can be integrated into an EFL curriculum, termed in-class sustained silent reading, at the university level; (2) extensive reading is at least as effective and efficient as traditional instruction in acquiring English as a foreign language and is more effective than traditional instruction when the treatment duration is longer; (3) book access and self-selection of reading are two keys to the success of a sustained silent reading program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Entering an 'English Impromptu Speech Contest" intimidates many students who do not have a good command of the English language. Some choose to give up before the contest date while others stand speechless on the stage. This paper identifies a range of problems confronted by contestants from my college, the Yuanpei Institute of Science and Technology in Taiwan. These problems can be categorized into three aspects: (1) language, (2) speaking skills and (3) background knowledge. Language poses many difficulties; many students have a narrow knowledge of English vocabulary, others have a limited understanding of correct word usage, and some make frequent mistakes with their grammar usage. As for speaking skills, students lack public speaking organizational skills and the ability to develop key points, and they have difficulty in controlling the subtle yet important timing of a speech and difficulty with attention-gabbing opening statements. The third problem is the contestants' limited background knowledge. Many students simply do not have the life experiences necessary to converse on a given topic. A number of ways are probed to remedy these problems confronting speech contestants at the Yuanpei Institute. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Before implementing the self-monitoring model programme of the Basel Convention in the Asia, Taiwan has conducted a comprehensive 4-year follow-up project to visit the govern- mental authorities and waste-disposal facilities in the countries that import waste from Taiwan. A total of nine treatment facilities, six of which are reported in this paper, and the five countries where the plants are located were visited in 2001-2002. France, Belgium and Finland primarily handled polychlorinated biphenyl capacitors, steel mill dust and metal waste. The United States accepted metal sludge, mainly electroplating sludge, from Taiwan. Waste printed circuit boards, waste wires and cables, and a mixture of waste metals and electronics were the major items exported to China. Relatively speaking, most treatment plants for hazardous waste paid close attention to environmental management, such as pollution control and monitoring, site zoning, system management regarding occupational safety and hygiene, data management, permits application, and image promotion. Under the tight restrictions formulated by the central environment agency, waste treatment plants in China managed the environmental issues seriously. For example, one of the treatment plants had ISO 14001 certification. It is believed that with continuous implementation of regulations, more improvement is foreseeable. Meanwhile, Taiwan and China should also continuously enhance their collaboration regarding the transboundary management of hazardous waste. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the spread of globalization and information technology, the goal of English education in East Asian countries has recently undergone drastic change, with one such change being the introduction of English at the elementary school level. Based on a sociocultural theoretical framework, this study attempts to identify and compare the ways in which local elementary school teachers consider classroom activities in English that are 'effective' in their given sociocultural and policy contexts. Employing multivocal ethnography, classroom activities in these countries were videotaped and edited. The edited videotape was shown to elementary school teachers in South Korea, Japan and Taiwan, who were then asked to discuss various aspects of teaching practice and activities in small groups. Among the many issues raised by teachers, this paper focuses on their concerns and challenges in employing communicative activities with respect to (1) creating motives and goals that drive communicative activities; (2) identifying developmentally appropriate mediational means; and (3) situating activities in specific contexts. The study found that teachers' challenges were due to a lack of understanding of three factors, including what constitutes 'teaching for communicative purposes', the roles that developmental factors play in EFL learning and teaching, and strategies for harmonizing learning/teaching and context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Why do people risk their lives fighting in wars? This article looks beyond group grievance and material benefits to add another psychological mechanism explaining why people choose to fight or not to fight – perceived collective action. An individual is much more likely to fight when they perceive that others will also fight. Contrary to the expectations of social identity theory and social pressure theory, the effect of perceived collective action is stronger among those who have a weaker national identity because they are more likely to rationally calculate the chance of winning by accounting for others' decisions. To mitigate the endogeneity in post-conflict cross-sectional surveys, we conduct a survey experiment (n = 1,001) in Taiwan manipulating perceptions of others' willingness to fight in a potential China–Taiwan military conflict. Experimental evidence supports the hypotheses that perceived collective action works only on weak Taiwanese identifiers. The result holds in robustness checks and in another nationally representative survey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Privacy management can be dichotomized into proactive and reactive behaviors. The former indicates avoiding information leakage beforehand. The latter occurs in the form of recovery efforts and it thus involves interpersonal dynamics. Past studies often focus on proactive privacy management without taking social interaction into account. The current study adopts coping and threat appraisal in the Protection Motivation Theory to compare the factors related to distinct types of privacy management with a stratified sample of teenagers in Taiwan (N = 1956). Controlling the pattern of social networking site use, the empirical results highlight the necessity of differentiating the privacy management. In addition, self-efficacy interacted with perceived vulnerability. Teenagers might ignore their vulnerability perceptions when they perceive themselves as having inferior self-efficacy, constituting disengagement from privacy protection. While it is never easy to prevent privacy breaches, suggestions for instructional designs are made on the basis of the behavioral types and empirical results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores issues on post-adoption services in intercountry adoptions based on the perspectives of adoption professionals from Taiwan and Australia. Findings revealed that both birth and adoptive families identify service needs for material and emotional support and connection after the adoption process is finalized. However, the current lack of government funding for post-adoption services result in gaps in service delivery. Adoption agencies experience challenges in funding and balancing the interests of the child and the two families. Implications for practice and policy are discussed to enhance the quality of post-adoption services and improve the well-being of the adoption triad. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research has shown that enthusiastic responses to personal good news are associated with positive relationship qualities, whereas more muted or ambivalent responses tend to have negative effects on relationships. This process, called capitalization, has been studied almost exclusively in Western cultures. The present research examined capitalization in three East Asian cultural groups (Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan), as well as in the United States. Whereas enthusiastic responses were associated with positive relationship outcomes in all groups, muted and critical responses showed significant moderation by culture. In three North American samples, these responses were negatively associated with relationship qualities. However, muted and critical responses revealed strong and positive correlations with relationship outcomes in Mainland China, non-significant associations in Hong Kong, and significant negative (but still weaker than in North America) associations in Taiwan. These findings point to the importance of examining relationship processes in the context of culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China's ruling Nationalist government saw the Second World War as an opportunity to shape the postwar world in China's favour. However, existing studies have often focused on China's plans on territorial arrangements in East Asia. This article examines how Nationalist China imagined and attempted to improve the postwar status of the Chinese diaspora in host countries. During the war, Nationalist China envisaged the removal of discriminatory treatment against the Chinese diaspora and planned to advocate racial equality. However, this equality was often intended to be parity with white people and Japanese rather than other Asians. Some Chinese officials even claimed that the Chinese diaspora in Southeast Asia should receive preferential treatment, which resonated with their perceptions that Chinese were superior to other Asians. As atrocities against Chinese migrants in Southeast Asia after the war mounted, China was forced to concentrate on saving their lives and assets. At the Asian Relations Conference, held in India in March–April 1947, Chinese delegates defended the Chinese diaspora against sceptical delegates of Southeast Asian nations. Although the conference delegates reached an agreement on treating foreign migrants in each country fairly, the Chinese diaspora still found itself in a precarious position. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At present, there is a wide divergence in attitudes toward free speech in countries strongly influenced by Confucianism. Japan, Korea, and Taiwan have fairly robust rights of free expression. Mainland China does not, strongly restricting speech that the government judges threatens State interests. I argue that although traditional Confucian scholars supported many restrictions on expression, Confucian philosophers actually have good reason to want to protect expression about values. Subsequently, I consider how to address the problem of disinformation while preserving this Confucian right to free expression. I focus on the case of Taiwan, as the Confucian state facing the most serious disinformation campaigns from China. The goal of government and civil society actors has been to focus on correcting disinformation while preserving free access to information, though laws do provide for civil and even criminal penalties for intentional spread of false information. As many democratic societies are facing the problem of concerted disinformation campaigns that aim to sow confusion and increase discord among the populace, Taiwan's successes here are worth studying. Yet the Confucian cultural background means people accept more government involvement in defining what is true and false than may be the case elsewhere, and the right to free speech is less absolute. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper exploits a Markov regime-switching model to study the business cycle of the hotel industry (BCHI) in Taiwan from January 1999 to September 2011. The aggregate hotel room sales earnings are used to examine the business cycle of the Taiwanese hotel industry. The Markov regime-switching model detects two distinct regimes of the BCHI: a high-growth regime (HGR) and a low-growth regime (LGR). The average growth rate of HGR (LGR) is 4 . 1 2% (0.35%). The corresponding standard deviation in the two regimes is 5.60% and 0.30%, implying that LGR is more stable than HGR. The probability of the hotel industry staying in LGR (HGR) is 9 7 % (66%) and the expected duration of HGR (LGR) is about 3 (39) months. Moreover, this study shows that the tourism market growth is significant in causing the hotel industry to stay in the HGR. The empirical findings provide useful information and policy implications for government tourism policymakers and tourist hotel managers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper empirically examines the relationship between service quality and market structure using metropolitan-level panel data from the Taiwanese hotel industry. The empirical results indicate, first, that the influence of market structure on room service quality is U-shaped - high and low levels of market concentration lead to better service quality; and, second, that market structure is positively associated with food and beverage service quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the effect of hotel room revenue on labour demand based on data for international tourist hotels in Taiwan. Past empirical research on the relationship between hotel room revenue and labour demand has failed to take into account the fact that the causality between these two variables can be a two-way rather than just a one-way relationship. In other words, room revenue can affect labour demand and vice versa. The authors address this issue by using an instrumental variables (IV) regression approach in which room revenue and hotel labour demand can be determined simultaneously. The empirical results indicate that a failure to account for the two-way causality will underestimate the effect of room revenue on labour demand. The findings are of particular importance to hotel managers as the authors provide more accurate estimates for the relationship between hotel room revenue and labour demand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comic books and their characters are an integral part of popular culture. However, comic books, as educational material, still remain controversial in certain education systems, as this medium is regarded by some as sheer entertainment – thereby hindering students' motivation to seek out other more formal, text-based literature to read. For this study, a region-wide questionnaire survey was sent out to explore school librarians' perceptions and attitudes towards the educational value of comic books in Taiwan. A total of 789 responses were collected for this questionnaire survey study. The regression model was used to identify the causal relationship between different genres of comic books and students' voluntary reading and learning incentives in the context of the school library. Findings from this study suggest that comic books (1) carry the potential to attract more students to visit the school library after class, (2) facilitate students' reading comprehension skills and (3) foster students' interest in voluntary reading. Because of this medium's visual-based and serialised narrative approach to storytelling, findings of this study also suggest that comic books could function as a reading motivational tool, particularly useful in helping their students learn about the subjects of History and Science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper compares the cost efficiency and meta-technology ratios for three groups of Taiwanese international hotels during the period 1998–2007 using the stochastic metafrontier approach. The empirical results support the view that the technology gap plays an important role in explaining the ability of hotels in one group to compete with hotels in different operating companies. In addition, the results indicate that hotels differ in cost efficiencies; that is, international chain hotels have the highest cost efficiencies, while independent hotels have the lowest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines whether the percentage of cash holdings affects firm value in the tourism industry in Taiwan. Before the percentage of cash holdings reaches the threshold value, an increase in after-tax earnings boosts the firm's value. However, when the percentage of the cash holdings exceeds the threshold value, an increase in after-tax earnings decreases the firm's value. There is a non-linear relationship between after-tax earnings and firm value and between interest expenses and firm value. There are also smooth transition effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the use of outsourcing in the activities comprising hotel operations in Scotland and Taiwan. Outsourcing is a key process integrated into the design of the supply chain management. The research also focuses on empirically identifying the role of the outsourcing strategy in hotels. To this end, the authors propose two hypotheses to study the relationship between the benefits and risks of outsourcing and the tendency to use third-party organizations. These hypotheses are analysed and tested in the two regions. The study was conducted on a representative sample of 118 hotels in Scotland and Taiwan. A questionnaire was used to obtain the findings. The results indicate that the principal candidates for outsourcing are the activities requiring technical skills and those services not involving direct contact with guests. No significant differences were found between the current levels of outsourcing in Scottish and Taiwanese hotels. The findings indicate that a stronger perception of the risks and benefits of outsourcing has a greater influence on outsourcing strategy. Furthermore, in the case of Scottish hotels, it is the benefits that determine the level of outsourcing, while it is the risks that do so in Taiwanese hotels. This work contributes to the literature on outsourcing from a services perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper develops a Nash bargaining model to study the average daily rate per rented hotel room. It then examines the model with data from international tourist hotels in Taipei, Taiwan. The empirical results indicate that: (1) an increase in the percentage of rented rooms taken by independent travellers (the independent traveller ratio) could significantly raise the average daily rate; (2) the average daily rate paid by independent travellers is significantly higher than that paid by group travellers; and (3) any improvement of hotel operators' relative bargaining power in relation to independent or group travellers will significantly raise hotels' average daily rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effective knowledge management (KM) has been a topic of great interest and extensively studied by organization researchers. Yet there is little research that attempts to explain the organizational KM performance in terms of employees' satisfaction. To address this gap, this paper proposes a path model employing a number of constructs: innovativeness, interfunctional coordination, the KM processes of socialization, externalization, combination, and internalization, and employees' perceived KM satisfaction. Empirical testing of the model is based on a sample of 157 enterprises from the Taiwanese information service industry. The results show that 10 of the 16 hypothesized relationships are supported by empirical data. The implications of these findings for knowledge management are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]