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Contesting Master Narratives: Renderings of National History by Mainland China and Taiwan

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 February 2023

Zhaojin Lyu  and
Haiyan Zhou
Zhaojin Lyu
Affiliation:
School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
Haiyan Zhou*
Affiliation:
School of Journalism and Communication, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
*
Corresponding author: Haiyan Zhou, email: zhouhaiyan@nju.edu.cn
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Abstract

The growing tension between mainland China and Taiwan has a cultural aspect closely related to national identity. We focus on recent history curriculum changes in the mainland and in Taiwan and find that education authorities on both sides have implemented master narratives for content selection in and organization of history textbooks. In mainland China, the master narrative of pluralist unity constructs a geographically consistent Chinese nation throughout history, which bolsters the state's current claim to a territorial integrity including Taiwan. In Taiwan, the master narrative of multiculturalism becomes the essence of Taiwanese identity, and weakens Sinocentrism in Taiwanese official historiography.

摘要

摘要

在文化层面，中国大陆和台湾日益紧张的关系与国家认同密切相关。本文关注大陆和台湾历史课纲最新的变化，发现两岸教育主管部门在历史教科书的内容选择和组织上都贯彻了主导叙事。在中国大陆的历史教科书中，“多元一体”的主导叙事构建了一个在历史上具有地理一致性的中华民族，这支持了中国政府目前对包括台湾在内的领土完整的主张。在台湾的历史教科书中，“多元文化主义”的主导叙事成为台湾人认同的核心要素，削弱了台湾官方史学中的中国中心主义。

Keywords

ChinaTaiwannational identityhistory textbooksmaster narratives中国台湾民族认同历史教科书主导叙事
Type
Research Article
Information
The China Quarterly , Volume 255 , September 2023 , pp. 768 - 784
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Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of SOAS University of London

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