The Adjustment of Transnational Marriages in Taiwan: Perspectives from Taiwanese Husbands

[[abstract]]根據內政部公布之外籍配偶在台人數急速攀升，跨國婚姻衍生之社會問題及對社會造成之衝擊，也成為從事專業學術研究者、社會工作者及政府社福單位實務關注之焦點。惟坊間相關研究都是以外籍配偶為對象，因此，本研究以娶了外籍配偶之台灣先生為研究對象，由他們的觀點與角度來檢視跨國婚姻所需面對之問題為何？衝突又是為何？台灣先生又是如何採取最好之調適因應方案？由研究中發現，台灣先生幾乎屬於社會邊緣之弱勢族群，惟卻是影響遠嫁來台之外配生活適應與婚姻美滿之關鍵，也是外配可否立足台灣之樞紐，因此，台灣先生對跨國婚姻所持的看法、態度與實際經營婚姻方式，值得深入研究與探討。 本研究主要針對位居桃園縣平鎮市、中壢市及觀音鄉之14位外籍配偶的先生為研究對象，進行深入的半結構式訪談與觀察，以個人、夫妻、家事分工、姻親和社會文化等五個層面，歷經2年的研究與深入探討，獲得八項結論，簡單分述如下： 一、 台灣先生非大男人主義，外籍配偶也非默默承受的受氣包。 二、 城鄉間台灣先生不同的職業類型、教育程度、薪資所得與身心狀況深深影響婚姻生活美滿與否。 三、 跨國婚姻雖如一場賭局，惟弱勢台灣先生不等同弱勢婚姻經營者。 四、 台灣先生經營東南亞跨國婚姻，在語言溝通、經濟負擔和子女教養上比一般台灣家庭來得更辛苦 五、 台灣先生對婚姻的心態影響婚姻經營與婚姻關係的合諧與滿意。 六、 經營老夫少妻之婚姻，採倚老賣老方式行不通，需更多包容互信 七、 台灣先生協助外籍配偶改善其原生家庭經濟之態度影響其婚姻關係。 八、 雙方文化差異與社會價值觀之不同，衍生不少婆媳、家人、金錢支配的家庭問題。 研究也發現，台灣先生除在跨國婚姻中扮演關鍵角色外，台灣先生家人對外配態度也不容忽視，所以針對本研究結果，分別對跨國娶妻之台灣先生與家人、欲選擇 跨國婚姻的台灣未婚男性、社會大眾及新移民家庭教育等，做出下列建議： 一、 對跨國娶妻之台灣先生與家人的建議 (一) 改變別人，不如先改變自己，尊重兩性的平權觀點與同理心的關懷 (二)台灣先生應主動參與家庭學習相關課程 二、 對選擇跨國婚姻的台灣未婚男性的建議 (一) 建立正確之婚姻態度 (二)先備全基本之生活及經濟能力 三、 對社會大眾的建議 (一)媒體應該減少偏差及污名化報導，應以正面觀點來報導新移民女性。 (二)社會大眾應有地球村胸懷，容納不同族群與文化，營造尊重包容的社會環境。 四、 對政府的建議 (一) 加強新移民女性家庭教育課程與學習生活技能教育 (二) 多補助社區小學或社團，有經費舉辦外籍配偶識字班及生活技能等相關課程 五、 對學校的建議 (一)多舉辦多元文化教師研習 (二)落實「教育優先區」的課業輔導計畫[[abstract]]The number of foreign spouses, as Ministry of the Interior announced, has been rising rapidly in Taiwan. The social problems that derived from international marriages and the impact imposed on the community have become the focus and concern of scholars, social workers and government social welfare units as well. However, as relevant studies in the past had all been based on the foreign spouse as the object. Therefore, this study turned to observing Taiwanese husbands who married a foreign spouse and examining his point of view and standpoint on such questions as: What are the problems that most frequently created? What kind of conflict is that? How the husband managed to respond? The study found that almost all Taiwanese husbands are of the disadvantaged groups from the margin of the society, but they are not only the key to living adaptation and a happy marriage, but also the hub crucial for living in Taiwan for the foreign spouses who came from far away to marry in Taiwan. Therefore, the Taiwanese husbands’ views and attitudes held on transnational marriages, and actual way of managing their marriage are worth further research and exploration. The research is aimed at the husbands of 14 couples with foreign spouse from Ping-Jen City, Chungli City and Guanyin Township in Taoyuan County as the research object. In-depth and semi-structured interviews were conducted, and direct observation were made based on five dimensions, including individuals, couples, the division of labor for household affairs, affinity, and social culture. After two years of research and in-depth exploration, eight conclusions were made as follows: 1. Taiwanese husbands are not male chauvinists, and their foreign spouses are not silent doormats. 2. Under the gap between urban and rural areas, the Taiwanese husband’s background of occupation type, education level, salary income, and physical and mental status deeply influences the happiness of the marriage. 3. Although cross-border marriage is like a gamble, disadvantaged Taiwanese husband is not equivalent to disadvantaged marriage manager. 4. The Taiwanese husband compared to the average Taiwanese family has to work harder, in respect of linguistic communication, economic burden and child education, to manage cross Southeast Asia – Taiwan marriage. 5. Taiwanese husbands’ mentalities of marriage affect their management of marriage. They are decisive in making their marital relations harmonious and satisfactory. 6. To manage the marriage of old husband and young wife, the marriage should not rely on authority and needs to be more inclusive and have mutual trust. 7. Taiwanese husbands’ attitude toward assisting foreign spouses to improve their original family economy will influence their marriage relationship. 8. The cultural differences and the different social values between the couple have derived a number of family problems, such as relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, with family members, and money control. . The research in the case studies also found that the Taiwanese husband, in addition to playing a key role in the cross-border marriage, cannot ignore their families’ attitude toward foreign spouse. Therefore, aiming at the results of this study, the following suggestions were put forward respectively to Taiwanese husbands and their families, unmarried Taiwanese men who intend to choose a foreign wife, the social public, and new immigrants’ family education. 1. To Taiwanese husbands and their families (1) To change yourself rather than to change others, respect for gender equality perspective and care with empathy. (2) Taiwanese husband should take the initiative to participate in family learning-related courses: 2. To the unmarried Taiwanese men who intend to marry a foreign wife (1) To establish the correct attitude towards marriage (2) Prepare in advance all the basic living and economic capacity: 3. To the social public (1) The media should reduce the stigma of biased reporting and should present in a positive point of view the report of new immigrant women. (2) The social public should have the global village in mind, to accommodate different ethnic groups and cultures, and create a social environment of respect and tolerance. 4. To the government (1) To strengthen family education courses and learning life skills education for the new female immigrants. (2) More subsidies to primary school or group in the community so as to have funds to hold literacy classes, life skills, and other related courses for the foreign spouses. 5. To the schools: (1) To conduct more multi-cultural teachers’ training camp. (2) To implement academic counseling program of “Education Preference Zone”.[[note]]碩