[[alternative]]A Preliminary Study on the Changes of Taiwanese Funeral Rites and Customs in Terms of Minnan Sayings and Vocabularies--Taking Chiayi Area as an Example

[[abstract]] 關於死亡的禮俗與儀式，具有高度的社會意涵存在，其意涵不僅僅是如何安葬死者，撫慰活者，更能夠反映出不同民族、文化的生死觀。本文選擇從台灣閩南諺語這個管道來看現代喪葬禮俗的變遷，是因為語言一向真實反映我們的日常生活，禮俗文化與價值觀念更可透過語言來表達，因此俗語或諺語可以看成是一種文化精華的縮影，透過語言可以整理出喪葬文化的演變軌跡。 本研究之研究目的：壹、暸解台灣閩南諺語與語彙中的喪葬禮俗，目前仍在執行的部份，以及其社會意義。貳、暸解台灣閩南諺語與語彙中的喪葬禮俗，目前執行方式的改變或省略的部份，以及其社會意義。參、根據前兩項研究目的，探討嘉義地區喪葬禮俗保留、改變與消失之原因。肆、藉由探究嘉義地區喪葬禮俗變遷之軌跡，以瞭解現今社會殯葬風俗變動脈絡，並作為未來政府、學術界及殯葬業者，制定喪葬禮儀之參考。 本研究之研究方法主要是以質為主、量為輔，質以深度訪談為主要方法、參與觀察為輔助；量以喪葬儀節相關之問卷調查為主。研究對象為：壹、嘉義縣、市政府與各鄉、鎮、市、區公所，負責喪葬業務之相關人員；貳、以嘉義地區各村（里）幹事或村（里）長，代表一般民眾；参、葬儀商業同業公會會員。本研究之發現，主要是比對徐福全在70年代時所做的《台灣民間傳統喪葬儀節研究》，探討從70年代至今喪葬禮俗的變化。這些儀節在閩南諺語與語彙使用上區分為：目前仍在執行、執行方式改變、閩南諺語與語彙改變、已逐漸式微四個部份。分析其造成儀節演變的原因有：壹、住宅型態改變；貳、人口結構改變；参、火葬比率增加；肆、使用殯儀館；伍、殯葬業者專業化；陸、宗教信仰多元化；柒、科技進步（含醫學技術、電話普及、交通便捷、移動式冰櫃普及）。[[abstract]] There is a high degree of social significance regarding the rituals and ceremonies of death, and their meanings are not just how to bury the dead and comfort the living but they are able to reflect the different ethnic and cultural conceptions of life and death. This paper has chosen the channel of Taiwan's Minnan proverbs to look at the transition of modern funeral rituals as language has always been a true reflection of our daily lives, and that the ritual culture and value concept can be expressed through language. Therefore, the common sayings or proverbs can be regarded as a type of miniature cultural essence, and we are able to sort out the evolution track of funeral culture through language. The purposes of this study are: 1. To understand the funeral rituals of Taiwan's Minnan proverbs and vocabularies on the parts that are currently still executing, and their social significance. 2. To understand the funeral rituals of Taiwan's Minnan proverbs and vocabularies on the execution manners that have been modified or the parts that have been omitted, and their social significance. 3. To explore the reasons of preservation, modification and disappearance of funeral rituals at Chiayi area according to the above research purposes. 4. To understand the current context changes of funeral customs in the modern society from the exploration of evolution track of Chiayi area's funeral rituals to serve as a future reference for the government, academia and funeral industry to set up funeral rites. A qualitative research was adopted as the main, and quantitative, the secondary method by this study. For qualitative research, an in-depth interview was taken as the main method, and participation and observation as an additional method. For quantitative research, a funeral ceremonial-related questionnaire was employed as the main investigation method. The research subjects were: 1. relevant personnel responsible for funeral-related businesses from Chiayi County, the City Government, and various county, township, city and district offices; 2. various village (li) officers or village (li) chiefs from Chiayi area, and general public representatives; 3. members of Funeral Service Industry Association. A comparison was made from the research findings of this study with ＂A study on Taiwan traditional folk funeral ceremonies＂ by Hsu Fu Chuan in the 80s to explore the funeral ritual changes from the 80s to the present time. These ceremonies that are used in Minnan proverbs and vocabularies are classified as: currently still executing, execution manners have been changed, modified Minnan proverbs and vocabularies, minor changes have gradually been done on four sections. A analysis on the reasons that caused the ceremonial evolution are: 1. changes in residential patterns; 2. changes in population structures; 3. an increasing rate in cremation; 4. the using of mortuary; 5. professionalization of funeral industry; 6. a diversification in religious belief; 7. progress in science and technology (including medical technology, popularity of telephone, transportation conveniences, the popularity of mobile freezing cubicle)