2011 年 6 月 日
報告人姓名 王維菁 服務機構
及職稱
國立台灣師範大學大眾傳播研究 所助理教授
時間 會議 地點
一百年五月二十六日至一百 年五月三十日
Boston
本會核定 補助文號
99-2410-H-003-065-
會議 名稱
(中文) 國際傳播學會第六十一屆年會
(英文) The 61th Annual International Communication Association Conference
發表 論文 題目
(中文)
新科技台裔美國人：網路使用與跨國認同 (英文)
Neo-Tech Taiwanese Americans: Internet Use and Transnational Identity 附 件 四
報告內容應包括下列各項：
一、參加會議經過
國際傳播學會年度研討會（The Annual International Communication Association Conference）為世界傳播學界規模最大、品質嚴謹、歷史也最悠久之研討會。參與此研討 會為與世界各地優秀傳播學者交流以及一窺最新傳播研究發展動態的的重要機會。今年會 議為第六十一屆年度研討會，大會主軸為：Communication @ the Center，旨在探索當代社 會變遷下，核心的政治、文化、社會以及科技挑戰。會議共收錄超過四百篇之論文發表（平 均錄取率約低於30％），並舉辦不同主題的討論會議、工作坊等。本人於會議中發表論文：
Neo-Tech Taiwanese Americans: Internet Use and Transnational Identity，探討在德 州奧斯汀的台裔美國人之網路使用，如何與其對台灣、美國、或混雜、策略性的認同產生 影響。
本人是在五月25日晚間約九點抵達Boston，隔天上午至ICA會議報到，下午投入報告準 備工作，晚間則參加大會開幕酒會，與世界各國的傳播學者交流、認識，並與過去母校德 州大學奧斯汀分校廣播電視電影系的同學、師長們敘舊。27日下午發表論文，會中參與者 對於世界不同地方少數族裔在當代國際交流頻繁、網路與傳播通訊科技大量使用之環境 下，認同的各種可能性有諸多討論。當天我也參與好幾場不同報告討論場次，其中
Rethinking value: Institutional value in media production場次特別值得深思，其討 論在科技匯流以及傳播管道激增，廣告利潤侵蝕狀況下，媒介組織勞動者勞動處境與勞動 條件的不利發展，在這勞動條件惡化的趨勢下，如何確保媒介工作者的工作保障，進而為 媒介生產品質把關，變得格外重要，特別是相關發展對新聞表現、新聞內容、甚至新聞倫 理之影響，因其與社會的民主發展及民主政治品質極度相關。
五月28日我主要參與了資訊時代媒介匯流與傳播科技之影響等相關主題場次，有趣的 討論包括：多元以及非西方之網絡社會或資訊社會模式，亦即，ICT基礎建設之不同發展路 徑，以及相關發展對社會之影響，都出現不同的方向；另外，在科技匯流方面，匯流已從 過去的垂直整合朝向水平整合，不同業者既競爭又需合作，消費者之需求將逐漸演變為隨 時隨地的保持上網（經由各種devices或整合的devices），且可以有更多的選擇可能，另傳
播科技相關產品週期也有越來越短等之趨勢、服務提供也有過去的固網、無線、演變為混 合型，使用者行為也由聲音間的溝通、廣播等傳統形式，演變為資訊與資料傳播，分享資 訊已成為當下最主要的傳播目的。而面對這些新的趨勢或挑戰，不僅是科技創新要追求跟 上改變、營利/營運模式(business model)、政策與管制等也需要有效地跟著革新。至於在 管制部分可以思考的例如，管制是否與促進投資以及促進消費者對新科技之採用相關。
五月29日我繼續參與數個不同場次，其中Pluralism and diversity in media content and consumption場次，該場討論對過去數十年之閱聽眾分隔化之認定有所反省，有研究引 入network analysis ，藉由社交人際網絡來重建對所謂分化之閱聽眾的理解，也有研究認 為分化的閱聽眾概念太過簡化，閱聽眾其實常常都有重疊的現象發生。另一場次Social media as news sources: Empirical evidence from four countries則討論網路上其他網 站，特別是社群網站之興起，是否襲奪了傳統新聞媒體新聞網站之使用者，網路使用者是 否不再從新聞網站獲取新聞，而是從社交網站或其他網站如入口網站等獲得新聞。部分研 究顯示社群媒體似已取代傳統新聞媒體成為第五權。不過對於新聞網站與一般網站如入口 網站之研究，則指出新聞網站其實與一般網站並無使用者注意力競奪之關係。
二十九日晚上，我則參加了與幾位中國學者交流之晚餐聚會，聚會中對於台灣及中國 的媒介改革與社會改革運動有諸多討論，特別是中國的媒介、社會改革方面，如何以政治 力不會過度關注並施壓之方式，並以民生議題為中心，漸進地召喚中國民眾對社會改革的 熱情與需求。會中學者也針對研究的目的與倫理進行討論，許多學者雖然進行為社會改革 奠定基礎的研究，但其背後目的經常是個人的成就與聲望考量，導致經常採取將研究者客 體化、剝削研究者的方式進行研究，如此雖可快速在個人學術成就上有所累積，但卻不是 一種可以贏得別人尊重的態度與手段。五月三十日簡單收拾行囊後，與認識之師長、同學、
友人道別後，即搭機離開Boston，返回台灣。
二、與會心得
首先要感謝國科會對於研究者出國參與國際會議並進行國際交流的支持與補助，這除 了幫助台灣學者看見世界各地學者的努力、其研究水準、以及新的社會現象與研究趨勢外，
也讓世界各國的學者瞭解台灣，幫助台灣和國際學術接軌、對話，意義重大。
這次的研討會在我的認知與知識上都十分有幫助，知識部分如進一步釐清所謂科技創
新的不同類型或型態、管制的不同類型以及匯流的不同類型等，都對於幫助理解當代社會 中這些重要的概念十分有用，掌握未來科技發展與管理政策之方向等均十分有益。此外，
許多新浮現之傳播科技、傳播現象以及其導致之社會、經濟結果，都十分值得我們嚴肅、
認真地去探究，因為這些影響將深深刻畫當代人民真實的社會生活與經濟、政治實踐。
三、考察參觀活動(無是項活動者省略) 無
四、攜回資料名稱及內容
所有會議論文、資料，與會之發表者均可於 ICA 網站上下載 五、其他
無 六、建議
近年世界許多國家對於大學教師工作之思考有朝研究績效與研究成果轉的趨勢，此一趨 勢雖有鼓勵大學教師進行社會探究之目標，但過度工具化與目的化的結果，卻使得學者對 於研究之思考也可能淪為功利與工具性目的考量，導致前述之，客體化、剝削研究客體，
僅為累積研究成果的嚴重倫理問題。此一問題值得我輩之學者反省深思，以避免研究的結 果非但未對社會帶來進步性與向上提升之好處，反而帶來更多社會傷害。
Friday, January 21, 2011 Wei-Ching Wang
National Taiwan Normal U [email protected] Dear Wei-Ching Wang,
I am pleased to inform you that your submission Neo-Tech Taiwanese Americans: Internet Use and
Transnational Identity has been accepted for presentation at the International Communication Association's 61st Annual Conference. You are invited to attend the conference and present your work. The conference is to be held May 26-30, 2011 at the Westin Waterfront Hotel, Boston, Massachusetts.
Registration is now available on the ICA website http://www.icahdq.org/conferences/2011/index.asp. You may also make your hotel and flight arrangements on this same website. The conference program will be published on line beginning March 1, 2011 so that you may determine the exact day and time of your presentation. You will also be able to find the listings of all sessions, including all special events and activities.
We look forward to seeing you in Boston, Massachusetts and trust that you will have a fruitful and productive conference.
Sincerely,
Michael L. Haley, Ph.D., CAE Executive Director
1
Neo-Tech Taiwanese Americans: Internet Use and Transnational Identity
Abstract
In the age of globalization, international networking, and constant use of ICTs, what scenario would describe the experience of immigrants with regard to their national identities?
This paper focuses on Taiwanese Americans, a highly educated and Internet savvy minority group whose cultural and identity needs have largely been ignored by U.S. society, and aims to investigate the complex relationship between their Internet use and their national identity.
The research results show that, with a marginal position in the U.S. culture, Taiwanese Americans rely on the Internet to foster an identity relationship with Taiwan. But this identity under the influence of Internet is changeable, strategic, situational, and sometimes profit motivated, rather than loyal, united, and stable as traditional identity is described.
Furthermore, this research reveals that different thinking regarding whether the Internet influences identity does result in different perceptions abouttheInternet’sactualeffectson national identity.
Keywords
Transnational community, Taiwanese Americans, Internet use, national identity Introduction
In the age of globalization and heavy use of new information and communication technologies (ICTs); people, capital, commodities, information, and symbols all circulate very quickly around the globe (Appadurai, 1990). This changeability results in a trend of more diverse cultural experiences and unstable identity construction, and this is especially the case for immigrants. This paper examines how national identity changes and develops in a world of ever-expanding global and information communication technologies, and explores the relationship between Internet use and the transnational community’s national identity construction and identity experience.
Since the September 11, 2001 attack on the U.S., scholars have become more interested in how immigrant communities use new media to construct their identities, particularly in Islamic communities (Gillespie, 2006). For example, Grillo (2004) investigated how Islamic groups employ new media such as video tapes, DVDs, and websites (e.g., IslamiCity.com) to
2
encourage Muslim immigrants to learn Muslim culture and conventions, as well as to share their experiences of adapting to life abroad. Despite the strong influence of the media on Muslim identity, the relationship between the two is far from unidirectional. In fact, use of these media provides immigrants with a channel to question media content and challenge Islamic cultural authorities. Researchers have consequently recognized the growing complexity of media influence on immigrant identity; for example, the media can aid in assimilation as well as the resistance to assimilation in the target culture, and the influences of media on identity are often varied (Gillespie, 2006).
Taiwanese Americans in the U.S. comprise a growing transnational community that is characteristically highly educated and well-versed in technology, and, like other transnational communities, deals with identity conflicts . According to the 2000 report of the U.S. Census Bureau, over 324,000 Americans are of Taiwanese origin (independent from the Chinese group). Unlike being Chinese, being Taiwanese is a more socially constructed and politically contested identity, which has been the topic of a long ongoing debate (McKeown, 1997).
Taiwanese identity is fluid, evolving, and heavily influenced by the political climate in Taiwan and the tensions and interactions between Taiwan and mainland China (Liu & Ho, 1999). Alongside the identity recognition process in Taiwan, the uniqueness of Taiwanese immigrants in the U.S. has recently attracted more attention in academic research as well as political debate (Ng, 1998; Yu, 2006).
This study investigates how Taiwanese Americans1 use the Internet to construct and reconstruct their original national identity, new national identity, transnational identity, strategic identity, or situational identity, specifically aiming to explore how Taiwanese Americans facilitate their connections to their cultural roots and maintain their ties to the country of origin, how they employ the Internet to help adopt a new American national
1 This paper focuses on a case study of Taiwanese Americans in Austin, Texas. Texas is an important state in the U.S., and the capital city of Austin is home to a highly-developed semiconductor industry. Many transnational corporations, such as Intel, Dell,HP,Motorola,Apple,and IBM,havebranchesin Austin.Therefore,Austin isknown as“Silicon Hill”and has attracted many Taiwanese immigrants to work and live there. Moreover, Taiwanese Americans have been fairly eager to form a Taiwanese American community in Austin. The Austin Taiwanese Association is one of the most active branches of the Network of Taiwanese American Organizations. In addition, the University of Texas at Austin is a popular choice for Taiwanese students because it offers competitive research opportunities, warm weather, and a lower cost of living than many other cities; and over two hundred Taiwanese study there every year. There is a growing Taiwanese student group in Austin, and some of them choose to remain in Austin to work and live. The Taiwanese students at the University of Texas at
1 This paper focuses on a case study of Taiwanese Americans in Austin, Texas. Texas is an important state in the U.S., and the capital city of Austin is home to a highly-developed semiconductor industry. Many transnational corporations, such as Intel, Dell,HP,Motorola,Apple,and IBM,havebranchesin Austin.Therefore,Austin isknown as“Silicon Hill”and has attracted many Taiwanese immigrants to work and live there. Moreover, Taiwanese Americans have been fairly eager to form a Taiwanese American community in Austin. The Austin Taiwanese Association is one of the most active branches of the Network of Taiwanese American Organizations. In addition, the University of Texas at Austin is a popular choice for Taiwanese students because it offers competitive research opportunities, warm weather, and a lower cost of living than many other cities; and over two hundred Taiwanese study there every year. There is a growing Taiwanese student group in Austin, and some of them choose to remain in Austin to work and live. The Taiwanese students at the University of Texas at