Ethnic Identity and Gender Differences Among Indigenous Youths in Two Single-Sex High Schools in Taiwan

Many quantitative studies in Taiwan showed that indigenous youths owned high ethnic identity, but the relationship between ethnic identity and gender differences was not clear.  Ethnic identity is constituted in every individual’s living context, so it is necessary to explore the above findings in the individual context.  In the article, the authors adopted ethnographic approach in two elite single-sex high schools from 2010 to 2012, and tried to explore the relationship between ethnic identity and gender differences, and to answer if gender differences existed and why they had differences through students’ daily experiences.  

The research found the boys outnumbered girls in strong indigenous identity, and there were more girls who were assimilated.  The reasons were due to both of the cultural and school contexts.  In the cultural context, boys belonged to the traditional age-set system in the community, and many cultural activities were still strongly relative to the age-sets.  Therefore, boys had more opportunities or even obligations to participate in cultural affairs, and developed their ethnic identity through participation.  Girls lacked formal social organizations traditionally, so girls expressed they felt they were like outsiders or visitors in the cultural activities.  In the school context, a few indigenous teachers devoted themselves to indigenous education in the boys’ school.  Boys could share their cultural experiences in the formal or informal school activities, and they had more chances to get acquainted with other indigenous fellows.  However, there were no indigenous teachers in the girls’ school.  There also were stricter rules in girls’ behaviors, and girls’ school life was usually restricted to their classes and academic studies.  The results showed that the gender differences in ethnic identity were constituted by gender stereotypes and gender segregation in the patriarchy society.