文化脈絡中的積功德行為：以臺灣佛教慈濟功德會的參與者為例，兼論助人行為的跨文化研究

Merit-Accumulation' Behavior in Cultural Contexts: An Example from Participants in Taiwan's Buddhist Tzu-Chi Association, with Implications for Cross-Cultural Studies on Helping Behavior

本文的目的，在以臺灣佛教慈濟功德會中所收集到的與當代臺灣人「積功德行」有關的資料為例，實際的說明在真實的文化脈絡中，「積功德行為」所具有的多重面貌同時，本文也希望經由這些說明與分析，進一步的來討論「助人行為」「跨文化研究」所應該具備有的一種基本視野。尤其是我們注意到在過去「助人行為」研究的典範中，文化因素封於人們助人行動的影響幾乎一直是被忽視的，這種視野對於理解非西方國家中人們的助人行動而言，有其相當的侷限性。主要奠基在對於慈濟參與者三種「動機談論」方式的分析與比較，本研究嘗試來釐清，在華人文化流行的地區，和「積功德行為」有關的文化規範對人們實際助人態度與行為的影響方式，以及進一步的來說明在行動者社會行動的脈絡裡，「積功德行為」所具有的基本性質與特色。而本研究的發現不僅有助於我們理解華人的慈善傳統及其社會實踐，也有助於擴大我們對於「助人行為」「跨文化研究」的研究視野，也就是我們注意到，對於不同地區助人行動的理解，是必須儘可能的建築茌對於文化脈絡中行動者主觀意義建構過程的理解之上的。

Based upon data collected in the Buddhist Tzu-Chi Association in Taiwan, this study attempts to discover the various forms of merit-accumulation behavior in modern Taiwan. Simultaneously, based upon the findings, we also want to reflect on the basis for cross-cultural studies on helping behavior. In particular, we notice that, in the past, underlying cultural dimensions have often been ignored in studies on helping behavior. This kind of perspective, when applied to non-western cultures, has serious limitations. Through the analysis of three kinds of 'motive talk' for Tzu-Chi participants, this study tries to demonstrate how cultural norms play an important role in affecting people's cognition and behavior for helping, and howmerit-accumulation has specific meaning for a social actor in real social contexts.This study on 'merit-accumulation' not only helps to shed light on the patterns ofChinese charitable behavior, but also brings us a new perspective on cross-culturalstudy of helping behavior. A cross-cultural study on helping behavior must be basedupon an understanding of how actors in a social process construct their subjectmeanings in cultural contexts.