Full Description
Sweet and Sour explores the experiences of women entrepreneurs amidst the contradictions of a freewheeling commercial culture set within the patriarchal constraints of contemporary Taiwan. To what extent are Taiwanese women empowered by entrepreneurship? What challenges do they face as women in their families and in the marketplace? How do they construct physical and social space for themselves in a traditionally male-dominated society? Most important, how do they perceive their businesses, their families, and their personal identities both as women and as business owners?
Focusing on the voices and perspectives of the women themselves, Scott Simon draws from life-narratives of women from various ages, ethnic groups, social classes, and occupations to provide a diverse set of rarely heard native voices speaking out on gender and entrepreneurship in Taiwan.
Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction
Chapter 2: Social Contests of Female Entrepreneurship
Chapter 3: Two Street Vendors
Chapter 4: A Stone Cutter
Chapter 5: A Ritual Goods Seller
Chapter 6: A Hairdresser
Chapter 7: A Café Owner
Chapter 8: A Lesbian Bar
Chapter 9: An Eel Exporter
Chapter 10: A Non-profit Dog Shelter
Chapter 11: A Global Café
Chapter 12: A Fashion Designer
Chapter 13: A Breakfast Café
Chapter 14: An Aboriginal Crafts Dealer
Chapter 15: Women in a Flower Drinking World
Chapter 16: Concluding Notes
Glossary
Appendix on Methodology
Bibliography
