新好男人嗎？探討男性作為家庭主要照顧者的角色平衡

Abstract

家庭照顧乃是臺灣承擔老人照顧的主要方式，而擔任照顧者角色的家庭成員在照顧、經濟與社會規範的多重壓力負荷下，身心俱疲的狀況比比皆是。從性別的角度切入家庭照顧議題，近年來社會環境的變遷，「男性養家、女性持家」的傳統家務分工模式有所鬆動；故本研究以男性擔任家庭照顧者為研究對象，欲探討其決定投入家庭照顧的原因、經驗與感受，理解家庭照顧中的男性的性別操演與表達，以及如何兼顧多重角色關係。 本研究採質性研究深度訪談法，透過立意取樣的方式，共訪談5位男性照顧者與3位其他家庭成員。研究發現男性選擇承擔家庭照顧的原因有四：奉養父母的責任義務、遞補女性的照顧角色、經濟資源不足的妥協與依據被照顧者的要求；一旦開始其照顧歷程，照顧便成為其生活重心，隨之而來的照顧負荷包含：被照顧者的疾病特性、老化失能的不可逆性、消失的社會參與、因應照顧所衍生的經濟壓力、與被照顧者的關係以及孝道規範的壓力。另外，透過身體行動反覆實踐以理解男性陽剛氣質的操演，我們可以從5位男性照顧者的經驗中，看見經濟提供者角色的自我認同對於身為男性的重要性；然而，男性照顧者的性別操演鑲嵌在各自的家庭脈絡與區域環境，不同的價值認同具有個別經驗的特殊性。再深入探討男性身兼照顧者、勞動者與家庭角色的處境發現，面對照顧與工作，視照顧者與勞動者的位置不同而有所差異；且不論是何種型態，男性照顧者皆是在照顧與工作之間尋找自己的動態平衡，維繫兩方角色的實踐。 因此依據研究發現，在政策制度面建議：提升照顧服務資訊的可及性、由服務提供者主動尋找服務需求者、維護家庭照顧者的經濟安全；在實務工作面建議：工作者應具備性別敏感度、注重家庭照顧者的家庭系統運作。

Family caregiving is the mainstream of long-term care model in Taiwan. However, this progress continues to put pressure on family members to take on caregiving roles; including financial, emotional, and physical strain. Accroding to the change of the modern society, the traditional gender division of housework has been transforming. Therefore, this study aims to explore the care process of male caregivers, the gender performativity of male caregivers, and multiple relationship between male caregiver and family members. This research adopts qualitative method, using in-depth interview to collect data from 5 male caregivers and 3 family members. Firstly, the study finds that the formation of male caregivers depends on the care responsibilities, the lack of female family members, insufficient economic resources, and recipients’ requests. Besides, male caregivers got caregiving burden from the diseases characteristics of recipients, the irreversibility of aging, the lack of social involvement, economic pressures, kinship relations, and filial piety. Second, by observing the gender performativity of male caregivers, we can recognize that male caregivers still consider being a breadwinner is their significant role in the family. Finally, male caregivers are looking for reconciliation between family and work. According to research findings, there are some suggestions for policy and practice in five aspects: increasing the accessibility of care service information, providing services actively, maintaining economic security of family caregivers, workers equipped with gender sensitivity, and focusing on family dynamics.