Written by Junbin Tan. This article traces the Lin family’s multigenerational migration from wartime Kinmen Island to Southeast Asia and beyond. Anchored in an ethnographic encounter with Grandma Lin and her family, the author follows the Lins’ migratory trajectories of departure, separation and eventual return, revealing how Kinmenese mobility was shaped by political restriction, economic necessity, and the moral economies of kinship.
Written by Zong-Rong Lee. As part of the Taiwan Insight–IJTS special issue on the Topical Section “Transitions and Challenges in Taiwan’s Economy and Society,” this article presents Zong-Rong Lee’s study on Taiwan’s enduring family capitalism. It traces how political patronage, kinship networks, and market reforms sustained family dominance, raising concerns about competition and long-term adaptability.
Written by Elspeth Lewis. Taiwan has the lowest birthrate in the world. This article explores this trend by putting women at its centre, challenging what we thought we knew. Beyond the vague idea of becoming more liberal, it explores the difference between the younger generation and their parents. Moreover, the traditional society does not condone the newly created ideas around dating, sex and relationships either.
Written by Amélie Keyser-Verreault and Hsu Yu-Yin. This article examines historical contextualisation elements and discusses the main characteristics of the yuezi centres in Taiwan. It also points out challenges that the professionalisation and institutionalisation of postpartum care brings about.
Written by Lana Chikhungu. In both Taiwan and Malawi, adolescent pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of physical and mental health issues. Also observed in both Taiwan and Malawi during the COVID-19 pandemic is the higher risk women were exposed to gender-based violence. Studies on pregnancy in Taiwan during the pandemic focused on how the disease affected pregnancy and maternal care practices and how the disease had an impact on sex life. This article provides insights into teenage pregnancies, child marriage and girl child sexual abuse in Malawi.
Written by Amélie Keyser-Verreault. In Chinese culture, the tradition of yuezi (月子) or the practice of postpartum care for the mother, is a longtime established practice. In Taiwan, this practice underwent and continues to undergo the vicissitudes of social and interpersonal relationship changes. Before the 1970s, the birth rate in Taiwan was extremely high, and the idea of “more children, more grandchildren, more good fortune” (多子多孫多福氣) was widely accepted. The large family size also meant sufficient human resources for agricultural-related field labour. The practices of yuezi were already crucial at that time. Mothers in the postpartum period had some privileges like a long rest and special food, particularly meals containing meat like chicken, a precious food at that time.
