In the wake of a series of social movements since 2008, several new organisations and individuals have entered Taiwan’s politics. Inspired by activist experiences, these actors are channelling dissident political expression into organised competitive forces to contest legislative elections. Many activists are refusing to join established major party coalitions, instead founding their own parties or running as independents. Citing widespread socio-political division and poor representative accountability, these groups are attempting to translate activist power into a new progressive force to transform the formal political arena.This project seeks to understand how these nascent organisations create, order and practise politics. It will investigate how and why its members became politically active and position themselves outside mainstream politics. It will examine the structures and cultures of these new political groups before and after elections to determine how they adapt to integrate with the requirements of the political system. How these groups create, disseminate and maintain unique meaning and purpose is crucial to their continued relevance as political entities. From this inquiry, the project aims to build on our understanding of politicisation and cultural politics in Taiwan.

About the Speaker

Graeme Read is a PhD candidate at the Australian Centre on China in the World. He was awarded Bachelor of Asia-Pacific Studies with Honours by the Australian National University. His previous research focused on anti-national education curriculum protests in Hong Kong. Current research interests include Taiwanese identity, grassroots politics and activism, media and communication.