成為贏家：台灣賽鴿者的賭博實作與策略

Abstract

賽鴿賭博是活躍於台灣社會的地下經濟活動，它的高額賭金吸引參與者爭相投入尋求致富的機會。究竟什麼是影響賽鴿成功與否的關鍵，賽鴿參與者發展出什麼樣的行動策略？賽鴿行動者之間的合作如何形成？而賽鴿活動的主要參與者——男性，在面對賭博的高經濟風險時，何以兼顧家庭與養家職責？本研究透過深度訪談二十三位賽鴿參與者，輔以檢索賽鴿雜誌與網站刊登的文章、參與觀察等方法蒐集資料，試圖理解賽鴿參與者發展行動策略、協商合作關係與建構陽剛氣概的過程。本研究的發現如下：第一，我運用場域的分析工具，指認出技術資本、經濟資本與社會資本，對於行動者贏得比賽與獎金的作用；描繪不同類型的賽鴿參與者，依據自身的資本條件，發展出的資本積累、動員與轉換策略。第二，我援引關係性工作的概念，呈現「寄櫥」、「掛」和「倩」這三種賽鴿合作的形成、協商與衝突，指出合作與否是賽鴿行動者對於一個特定經濟關係的社會性協商過程。雙方的信任形成與合作建立，往往夾雜著經濟理性的計算、人際情感的考量，以及互動的道德評價，進而影響合作關係的存續或破裂。第三，我帶入性別的分析，發現「鴿養家」和「養鴿家」這兩種類型的男性賽鴿者，會透過不同的養家論述與實作，以及區辨自己與「賭客」的過程，試圖建構一種「好的」賽鴿陽剛氣概，合理化自身的參與；甚至，動員妻子的參與，形成性別化的賽鴿分工，再製既有的性別秩序。本研究的貢獻在於，嘗試以經濟社會學的角度，進行過程性的場域分析，描繪賽鴿行動者的社會關係與互動，捕捉交織在關係之中的經濟與社會力量。

Pigeon racing is an active underground economic activity in Taiwan. Its sizable prize money from illegal betting attracts many pigeon fanciers who dream of making a huge fortune overnight. What is the key to success and what kinds of strategies do fanciers develop? How is cooperation between fanciers possible? Under the risk of losing money, how could male fanciers, the main participants in pigeon racing, be responsible breadwinners for their family? Based on in-depth interviews with 23 pigeon fanciers, analysis of articles on pigeon racing magazines and websites, and participant observation, this research examines the process of developing strategies, negotiating cooperative relationship, and constructing masculinities. First, I use field analysis to identify the effect of technical capital, economic capital and social capital on winning. According to the composition and amount of the capital, different types of pigeon fanciers develop diverse strategies to accumulate, mobilize and convert their capital. Second, I use the concept of relational work to present the formulation, negotiation and conflict in three forms of cooperation—“on behalf of pigeon owner,” “pigeon rental,” and “employment relationship.” Whether to cooperate with each other is a negotiated social process to a specific economic relationship. The trust between two parties is compounded of economic interest, friendship and moral judgment; further, influencing the persistence or termination of cooperative relationship. Third, I found that two kinds of male fanciers—“entrepreneurs” and “amateurs” construct “good” masculinities to justify their participation by different breadwinning discourse and practice and differentiation between themselves and problem gamblers. These male fanciers might even persuade their wife to participate, forming gendered division of labor to reproduce the gender order. From the perspective of economic sociology, this research tries to reveal the process in the pigeon racing field, and describes the social relations and interactions within which the economic and social forces intertwine.