The global, the local, and the Chinese: vying cultures in Taiwan

Abstract

The global, Taiwan’s and Chinese cultures have been vying for support from people in today’s Taiwan. This paper attempts to evaluate the glocalization hypothesis by way of an explanation. Using recent data collected in 2018 by the Taiwan Social Change Survey, it is found that acceptance of Chinese culture is high, despite the political tension across the Taiwan Strait. In contrast, global culture is least well received. Regression estimation of the influence of global exposure (measured by border crossing, transnational networking and consumption of foreign food) on support for the three cultures provides only weak supporting evidence. In contrast, ethnic origin plays a key role when it comes to accepting Taiwanese or Chinese culture.