臺灣變遷社會中老人的家庭角色調適及代間關係之初探

An exploratory study on role adjustment and intergenerational relationships among the elderly in the changing Taiwan

本研究之主要目的，乃企圖以變遷社會為背景，分析老人在家庭中對其角色的調適以及代間關係的主觀意念。研究者對22位年齡在63至85歲的社區居家老人進行了半結構式的深度訪談。結果發現經濟與健康兩者是老人在邁入老年後普遍最關心的問題。而老人對其家庭角色正向的看法主要來自其較豐富的經驗、對權威掌控的傳統觀念，以及自覺有幫助子代的能力。至於負向的態度則大多因為身體老化所引起的行動不便，以及對家庭貢獻減少，對家人依賴性增加而產生。至於老人對家庭角色轉變的調適可歸納為積極、正向以及消極、負向的調適，前者包括開放、接納、改變認知、及轉移注意力；後者主要是被迫接受、及失望放棄。在對代間關係的期望方面，老人對子代孝道表現的期望則大致維持傳統的形式，唯對「養兒防老」與居住的安排有其自認適合現代社會狀況的想法，然其健康情形是較顯著的影響因素。

The main purpose of this study was to explore the family role adjustment and intergenerational relationships of the elderly in modern Taiwan. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with 22 community elderly aged between 63-85. Analysis revealed that finance and health were the two focal concerns for the old age. The positive attitudes towards family roles were owing to their rich life experiences, traditional values of authority, and assumed ability to help the young； the negative attitudes were owing to their increased disability caused by aging, reduced contributions towards the family, and increased dependence. Role adjustment efforts could be categorized into active/positive and passive/negative ones. The former included opening to and accepting changes, cognitive restructuring, and diverting attention； the latter included accepting with grievance, or giving up. Regarding intergenerational relationships, the elderly maintained their expectations of traditional filial piety from the offspring. However, on the issue of children’s paying back, and that of living arrangement, the elderly held somewhat liberal thoughts deemed to be more adaptive in a modern society. Nonetheless, health was a major influencing factor.