ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book concern here is to see how people sense of place in the world can be influenced, shaped and (re)invented through spatiality. To address the question of why the concept of 'place' which one can call one's own is so important in the construction of identity, geographical imagination and nation-building, the book adopts a spatial approach. The book focus is on the importance of and the relationship between state spatiality and identity formation. Taking Taiwan as a case study, Place, Identity, and National Imagination in Postwar Taiwan explores the ever-present issue of identity from a spatial perspective, and aims to explore the relationship between the operation of state power and the construction of social space. Through the examination of state spatiality in postwar Taiwan, this book aims to present an alternative approach to understanding the thorny issue of Taiwanese identity.
