Mixed Emotions and Indigenous Language Maintenance in Post-Disaster Reconstruction Communities

Mixed Emotions and Indigenous Language Maintenance in Post-Disaster Reconstruction Communities examines the interplay between emotions and Indigenous language maintenance among Paiwan families after they relocated to post-disaster reconstruction communities in Taiwan. In the view of sociocultural theory, mixed emotions mediate social action by connecting language resources and family language maintenance experiences. Against the context of Indigenous families and reconstruction communities, the author utilizes orientation activities to investigate mixed emotions, language practices, and language socialization among Paiwan family members. This book also explores the multimodal space of emotions, language practices in Indigenous language, and the language repertoire from micro-level family practices to meso- and macro-level community mobilization. The results of this volume shed light on emotions in family language policy, family communication in the teaching of heritage knowledge in Indigenous societies, and most importantly, Indigenous language maintenance in the context of post-disaster reconstruction. This book contributes to the documentation of the Paiwan language in the reconstruction communities, language equality, and the maintenance of the Indigenous language in post-disaster reconstruction communities. It can be used to develop the conceptual underpinnings of Indigenous language policies, Indigenous education programs, and Indigenous language maintenance practices.

About the Author :
Chun-Mei Chen is professor of linguistics and chair of the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures at National Chung Hsing University, Taiwan.

Review :
The Austronesian languages, spoken from Hawai'i to Madagascar to Taiwan, comprise one of the world's most widespread families--yet it is only among the many small Austronesian Indigenous groups on Taiwan that the family's deepest internal linguistic diversity is found. Chun-Mei Chen's fascinating study considers the challenges of maintaining one of those languages, Paiwan, in the face of community migration away from a natural disaster. Her work is particularly important for its sensitive documentation of the social and emotional texture of this process, contributing to literature on language loss around the world and demonstrating that the ways in which people are attached to and moved by their ancestral languages can reflect distinct and unique intellectual, aesthetic and affective orientations, with a range of different social and cultural outcomes. --Anthony C. Woodbury, University of Texas at Austin This insightful book delves into the intricate relationship between emotions and the preservation of the Paiwan language within families navigating post-disaster reconstruction in Mandarin-dominated Taiwan. Exploring linguistic and cultural dimensions through sociocultural theory, it unveils the pivotal role emotions play in sustaining the Paiwan language and identity amidst societal shifts. --Cheng-Fu Chen, University of Mississippi What sets this book apart is its comprehensive exploration of not just the linguistic but also the psychological aspects of heritage language identity and inter-generational communication within the Indigenous Paiwan communities in Taiwan. The author provides enlightening insights into the vital role emotions play in strengthening family bonds and sustaining the use of the family language amidst unique societal changes. Additionally, the captivating data collection methods employed, including family storytelling and homework conversations, offer valuable potential for application in heritage language preservation efforts. --Fei Ren, Georgetown University