Ecocriticism in Taiwan

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Abstract

Key words: sustainable development, globalization, environmental justice, environmental disasters This brief article provides an overview of the recently established chapter of ASLE-Taiwan, the result of efforts and contributions made by scholars from leading universities interested in environmental issues and specializing in ecocriticism and environmental literature for more than a decade. Worthy of my special mentioning is the contributions made by the English Department of Tamkang University, one of the leading institutions focusing on ecocriticism in its PhD program. Tamkang University has held four international conferences on ecocriticism since 2000. The fifth international conference is scheduled to be held in December 2010. Many world-renowned ecocritics have been invited to attend the conferences and their papers are published in the Tamkang Review. Moreover, I’ll introduce some of the prominent ecocritics in Taiwan and their achievements in ecocriticism. Finally, I’ll deal with the impact of globalization on Taiwan and the conflict between a sustainable economy and a market-oriented economy currently confronting Taiwan. Many eco-scholars call attention to the devastating effects of the long-time pursuit of a market economy on the environment and try to push for the adoption of sustainable development as an alternative. In the wake of the tragic disaster caused by Typhoon Morakot in 2009, environmental issues are being taken more seriously in the press and are more widely debated in Taiwanese society in general. Environmental justice thus is beginning to play a more important role in ecocriticism in Taiwan right now. Palabras clave: desarrollo sostenible, globalizacion, justicia medioambiental, desastres medioambientales Este breve articulo proporciona una vision general del grupo de ASLE Taiwan creado recientemente, resultado de esfuerzos y contribuciones de investigadores de universidades punteras, interesados en cuestiones medioambientales y especializados en ecocritica y literatura medioambiental desde hace mas de una decada. Merecen mencion especial las contribuciones del departamento de ingles de la Universidad de Tamkang, una de las instituciones punteras que centran sus programas de doctorado en la ecocritica. La Universidad de Tamkang ha organizado cuatro congresos internacionales de ecocritica desde el ano 2000. El quinto congreso internacional tendra lugar en diciembre del 2010. Se ha invitado a muchos ecocriticos reconocidos mundialmente a participar y sus ponencias se publicaran en el Tamkang Review . Ademas, presentare a algunos de los ecocriticos mas importantes en Taiwan y sus logros en ecocritica. Finalmente, tratare del impacto de la globalizacion en Taiwan y del conflicto entre una economia sostenible y una economia de mercado que Taiwan esta afrontando actualmente. Muchos eco investigadores estan llamando la atencion sobre los efectos devastadores de la extensa busqueda de una economia de mercado como alternativa. Tras el tragico desastre causado por el tifon Morakot en 2009, las cuestiones medioambientales estan siendo tomadas mas en serio en la prensa y se estan debatiendo mas ampliamente en la sociedad taiwanesa en general. Asi, la justicia medioambiental esta comenzando a representar un papel mas importante en la ecocritica de Taiwan en estos momentos.