The Realization of Transnational Motherhood - A Case Study of Indonesian Domestic Migrant Workers

[[abstract]]本研究主要探討母親家務移工來台灣工作後，其實踐跨國母職時將面臨到那些問題？她們又如何發展跨國母職的形式和經驗，並且透過這些方式在遙遠的地理距離下，來盡到自己身為母親的責任和照顧自己的子女。本研究設計採用質性研究方法，透過深度訪談的方式總共訪問了十二位印尼籍家務移工，並包含訪談過程中的個人心得與自然觀察的紀錄。而研究結果分別有以下幾點： 一、家務移工會安排替代照顧者來當作個人的照顧和教養助手。選擇的對象通常是配偶照顧者、親生母親照顧者和其他親屬照顧者。由於印尼籍家務移工的婚姻狀態和就業環境，少有配偶擔任全職照顧者，多是交由家務移工個人的親生母親來擔任留守子女的主要照顧者；親屬照顧者則擔任輔助教養的角色。 二、家庭經濟支持被家務移工視為自己的母職責任。她們透過匯款來穩定留守子女的生活，並選定家庭財務代理人來維持家庭經濟的運作。此外禮品也是其母職實踐策略，其透過禮品向子女證明自己的母愛，並藉此安撫孩子的情緒。 三、通訊科技促使家務移工得以實踐母職中的情感支持。她們使用智慧型手機中成本低廉的網路來進行溝通，並運用社群網站來傳遞影音照片來建立跨國親密空間，並藉此來跨國照顧和監督子女的日常生活。 四、由於留守子女會因期待母親照顧而有情緒問題，因此家務移工會向子女表達不變的愛、協助孩子回憶親子相處的片段、並以家庭的未來展望取代現階段的思念和坦誠溝通等方式，來與子女進行遷移的討價還價和協商。 五、跨國母職對家務移工個人有正負面的影響。正面的觀點來看，可使家務移工個人獲得經濟自由並認同自我養家者的身分，且也擁有重新受教育的機會。然而家務移工也處於多重風險的環境中，海外工作同時消耗了家務移工的母職勞動力和情感。 本研究亦針對上述研究發現，提供社會工作和移工政策上的建議。[[abstract]]The study discusses the practical problems that transnational motherhood would face after transferring to Taiwan, the ways they developed forms and experienced as a transnational motherhood, and committed to the role of being a mother and take care of their own children in a long geographical distance. The study is designed as a qualitative research that 12 domestic migrant workers. From Indonesia were intensively interviewed, combined with researcher’s self-reflection notes produced during the engagement in the field.The results listed as followings: 1. Domestic migrant workers may arrange alternative caretaker as education assistance. The objects of caretaker are usually spouse, biological mother or other relatives. Due to the condition of marriage and employment environment of Indonesian domestic migrant workers, few spouses would be a full-time caretaker; instead, natural mother of women would act as a main caretaker of children stayed behind, and relatives serve as a role to assist with education. 2. Being a pillar of family livelihood is deemed as a responsibility of a mother by domestic migrant workers. They maintain the living environment of children stayed behind by transferring the money and keep the function of income by selecting the representative to charge with financial affairs of family. Besides that, sending presents is a practical strategy as a role of mother. Domestic migrant workers prove the love to children and ease the emotion by getting them presents. 3. Communication technology also helps domestic migrant workers practice as a mother by supporting the relationship between parents and children. They communicate by smartphone and low-cost network service and upload media on social websites to establish a transnational space to express love, even govern the daily life of children between places through it. 4. Children stayed behind would have emotion issues for expecting the attention of their mother. Domestic migrant workers would consult and discuss about migration with them by methods such as express his/her unchanged love, help them recall the periods of being together, ease their desire at the stage by prospecting the future expectation of family and communicate sincerely. 5. Being transnational mother has both positive and negative effects to a domestic migrant worker. On the positive side, transnational mother gains economic independence and identifies herself as a breadwinner, which helps female gain access to re-education. However, domestic migrant workers are also in a situation of risk. Working overseas deplete both force and emotion of motherhood from labour. The study also discovered and provided the suggestions of social works and policy of migrant labour.[[note]]碩