Written by Evan N. Dawley. The 2022 IJTS Open Access Award-winning paper, “Finding Meaning in Time and Space: Periodisation and Taiwanese-centric History,” challenges the conventional state-centric periodisation of Taiwan’s history by proposing a Taiwanese-centric framework that emphasises social transformation and identity formation. This article reflects on this broader trend in Taiwan-focused publications, its influence on the author’s future work, and the strength of this historical approach to understanding Taiwan on its own terms.
