Abstract

Both the “Worker Pioneers Monument” and “Chejin Female Workers’ Memorial” were set up for mourning those workers who died because of occupational injuries. After decades of social and cultural changes, the former gradually became the object of the drivers worship for, even officially treated as the Buddha in the “ Pioneer Temple” in 1998 ; the latter was demonized to the unmarried female ghosts seducing young men, regarded as a gloomy cemetery until rebuilding a labor women’s park’ by women’s groups combined with local governments in 2008. The old monument is newly built to redefine the collective memory with the existing social frame. No matter deification or demonization, this essay explores the gender dynamics in the sacrifices which reflects the value projections of different eras.

Presenters

Yu-ling Ku
assistant professor, Graduate Institute of Transdisciplinary Studies on Creative Writing and Literature, Taipei National University of the Arts, Taiwan

Details

Presentation Type

Paper Presentation in a Themed Session

Theme

Representations

KEYWORDS

Works’ Monuments, Collective Memory, Gender Division, Public Space, Occupational Injury

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