當打工變成體驗西方：台灣青年赴澳洲打工度假的研究

Abstract

本文從臺灣青年赴澳洲打工度假為研究切入點，試圖瞭解臺灣青年前往澳洲 打工度假的動機與結果。2004 年台澳雙方簽訂打工度假備忘錄，台灣每年數以千 計的青年遠赴澳洲打工度假，成為澳洲重要的青年勞動力移入來源，澳洲也成為 台灣青年海外工作居留最多的國家。2012 年今週刊關於澳洲打工度假的報導呈現 了打工度假的真實樣貌，台勞論述隨之而來。 臺灣青年赴澳洲打工的動機諸多，從經濟層面來看，受到台灣日益惡化的青 年勞動市場以及低薪化的影響，相對高薪的澳洲產生經濟上的拉力。從文化層面 觀看，現代性與對西方國家的嚮往也推動著臺灣青年赴同屬西方國家的澳洲打 工。當這群臺灣青年進入澳洲當地，實際上從事以勞力為主的第一級產業工作 時，他們卻以體驗作為論述方式，將辛苦的勞動條件轉化成體驗西方文化的必經 過程。 因此，本文試圖從已有工作經驗的澳洲打工度假青年出發，分析其出走的經 濟與文化動機。同時分析這群青年如何透過人際網絡與仲介來尋找工作，讓他們 能夠順利的留在當地。當打工度假青年在澳洲面臨辛苦的工作環境與明顯被剝削 的勞動條件時，他們如何利用體驗作為合理化打工度假行為，進而將就業市場的 向下流動，轉變為文化體驗資本的累積，藉以區別出他們與其他人的不同。

The “Taiwan-Australia working holiday agreement” was signed in 2004; since then, thousands of Taiwanese youth heading to Australia, and created the major resource of labor force for Australia. Australia has become the country where the most Taiwanese youth working overseas stays. Aiming at Taiwanese youth as working holiday maker in Australia, this paper tries to understand the motivation and results of the phenomenon. In 2012, Business Today released the relevant article, and exposing the real situation of working holiday; after that, the idea of “Tai lau” (Taiwanese labor) was formed. There are many reasons that Taiwanese youth choose Australia. Economically, influenced by the deteriorating labor market and low-paid jobs in Taiwan, the well-paid jobs in Australia generate the attraction. Culturally, modernity and the expectation toward West countries motivate Taiwanese youth leave domestic market for Australia. When the socalled WHMs enter the Australia labor market, they are involved into primary sector of economic activity; however, by means of “experiencing the West”, they transfer all the physical hard works to the inevitable process of experiencing the West. Therefore, through interviewing the previous WHMs, this paper analyzes the economic and cultural motivations. Meanwhile, how the youth find the jobs by social network and agents will also be explained. In short, this paper contributes to explain how the WHMs rationalize the working holiday behavior when facing the hard working environment and exploitation; and moreover transfer the downward social mobility to cultural experience capital accumulation. Eventually, justify the difference between themselves and the others.