Geopolitics works inward
Geopolitical tension does not only distinguish one state from another; it also reorganizes how people within a society hear and classify one another. Beliefs about what particular ways of speaking reveal about origin, loyalty, and belonging are therefore central to the making of geopolitical boundaries.
This research focuses on how intensifying tensions between Taiwan and China shape sociolinguistic differentiation within Taiwan. Through work on Taiwanese and Kinmenese Hokkien and on the indexicalization of a non-standard Mandarin tone, I trace how linguistic differences become evidence of place, political alignment, and national belonging.