「搬家」還是「離家」？安養中心台籍男性老人的家意義與地方依附

Abstract

台灣傳統「父權」、「父系」和「父居」的家系文化，形塑家的意義建構、支配性別分工、自我認同發展、生活福祉等，使家的意義有性別差異，然而現有家意義認同的文獻卻鮮以男性為研究對象。當社區男性老人搬到安養中心後，這般遷移到底是「搬家」還是「離家」，無疑是對安養中心算不算「家」的質問。本研究以Elder（1994）的生命歷程觀點和Watkins及Hosier（2005）的家意義發展脈絡分析架構，了解男性老人搬到安養護機構後，如何看待過去家的經驗？過去家的經驗意義，是否會影響他們現在的居住情形？以及與安養中心的地方依附情形為何？以台北市某安養中心作為田野，因台籍男性住民屬中心裡少數群體（9/116）經驗較為特殊、且於相對穩定的日治時代成長，故以台籍男性住民為對象並深度訪談6位研究參與者（平均年齡77歲；2位鰥夫住單人房、4位與配偶住夫妻房；平均居住時間28個月）。 訪談逐字稿和田野筆記經過類屬分析與情境分析後，分別在「老家？居住生活軌跡」、「男性的居住流動：生命歷程觀點」和「家變：由社區到安養中心的轉銜」三章回答研究提問。最後，歸結出「『異男』專屬的生活軌跡是不斷再製父權的『家』」，研究參與者公私領域的界線拿捏，受到親職/男性角色社會化、性別分工區隔、養育資源挹注的性別不均、和「嫁出去的女兒潑出去的水」等影響，深化家事和父（親）職參與的退位，並在男性世代內�間的自立與自利循環，不斷再製男性價值認同與「家」經驗意義的一體兩面。 而晚年又進入安養中心「公領域」，其生活適應與地方依附情形受男性特質、年齡、婚姻狀況和族群認同交織的作用，凸顯晚年的人地關係適切性在於社會因素與關係性空間的調適，保護因子包括婚姻狀況、生命史、內在性和過去地方依附的可近性。本研究發現安養中心內的地方依附立基於社會依附，因而建議提供住民「維持身份角色認同」方案，及採持續照顧和社會融入的管理觀點以強化住民發展地方歸屬感。

The meaning of “home” varies in regard to one's gender. This concept's gender-oriented nature has long received considerable attention from researchers as it relates to women. However, in so far as this concept is perceived and experienced by men is little studied. While the cultural practices of patriarchy, patrilineality, and patrilocality characterize the kinship system of Chinese society, shaping myriad aspects of life including gender disparity regarding division of labor within the household, quality of life, self-identity, and the conceptualization of “home,” it is the relocation in latter life stages of elderly men to retiree housing and the consequential changes that pose challenges in regard to the aforementioned and other aspects relating to what is “home” for these men. This study examines the concept of home and attachment to place of recent entries into these communities by locally born elderly retirees. Using the analytical framework of the home-conceptualization process as utilized by Watkins and Hosier (2005) and that of life-course perspective (Elder, 1994), this study examines the life-long experiences of men regarding their concept of “home” and their attachment to place, thus posing an overall question regarding if they feel settled or still uprooted from their original home, who reside in urban housing for the elderly. The participants in this study comprise a group of seven men, all born during the Japanese colonial era (1895-1945), two of whom are widowers living in a single room and five of whom are married living with their spouse in two-room housing. Their mean age is 77 while their average length of stay in their current housing is 2.3 years. Data was collected using semi-structured in-depth interviews, by the researcher, recorded and transcribed verbatim in Chinese, and then analyzed discursively. The findings are presented in three sections of this thesis: Hometown? Older Men’s Living Trajectories; Residential Mobility of Men: A Life Course Perspective; and Simply a Residence: Transitioning from Community Living to Elderly Independent Living. The research findings suggest that these men’s life trajectories are a reproduction of the norms of patriarchy, showing a dichotomy between the private and public spheres as mediated by gender role and parenting socializations, division of labor in their households, gender disparity in their distribution of educational resources, and an affirmation of traditional preference toward male offspring. As such they offer an explanation of non-committed (absentee) parenting focused rather on male self-interests, intra- and inter-generationally, reflecting a uniquely male perspective of “home.” While moving into retiree housing, seen by them as more of a semi-public sphere, their living adjustments and attachment to place are the intersectionality of multiple identifications of masculinity, generation, and “ethnicity” or regional background, featuring a personal-environment fit in latter life as affected by insulating, intrinsic social factors inclusive of marital status, life history, in-group/out-group positioning and accessibility to past attachment to place, of which social attachment is a key influencing factor. This study's recommendations include provision of an identity maintenance programme and an extended care continuum, as well as implementation of social inclusion measures to enhance a sense of belonging to place of current residence.