本研究主要從性別與政治參與的角度，探討台灣女性在客家族群主要群聚縣市參與基層選舉時的社會歷程結構要素之作用力，如性別、地方勢力、政治家族、政黨、族群、宗親、社團等，尤其是以性別作為社會結構的一環，再與其他相關因素相互交織之下，影響台灣女性參與地方縣市的基層選舉。桃園、新竹、苗栗地區是台灣客家族群主要的群聚居住地，地方政治主調常受族群文化影響，以桃園為例：桃園縣人口結構分為閩籍、客籍與外省籍三部分，分別約占總人口的38%、35%與26%，原住民約占1%。「北閩南客」的社會結構，長期掌控了桃園縣政治權力，主要宗親力量包括劉姓、黃姓、吳姓、邱姓、呂姓、張廖簡三姓、彭姓、陳姓、林姓等。桃園的政治主調先是地域觀念，再來是宗親，最後才是政黨。
本研究主要目的為分析台灣客家族群主要群聚縣市的女性參與基層政治的結構要素，尤其是具體呈現地方基層選舉的複雜在地結構與脈絡。本研究主要有三個發現：第一、婦女保障制度對縣議員選舉之小選區中的女性參政，依舊具有相當功效。第二、在客家群居縣市，女性參選者代表夫家政治家族的政治參與比例高。第三、宗親氏族過去雖由男性為主要繼承者，但代表夫家的女性參選者會以冠夫姓的方式來爭取夫家宗親的認同。

From a gender and political participation perspective, this study explored the influence of structural elements of social history on the participation of Taiwanese women in the counties and cities with primarily Hakka communities during grassroots elections. These structural elements include gender, local forces, political families, political parties, ethnic groups, clans, and communities. Gender is a major part of social structure, and together with other relevant factors, it influences women’s participation in elections. Taoyuan, Hsinchu, and Miaoli are the principal areas of Hakka communities in Taiwan and local politics are often influenced by ethnic culture. For example, the population of Taoyuan County consists of 38% Minnan, 38% Hakka, 26% Mainlanders, and approximately 1% aborigines. The “north-Minnan south-Hakka” social structure has long controlled the political power in Taoyuan County, with the most influential clans being the Liu, Huang, Wu, Chiu, and Lu clans followed by the Chang, Liao, and Chien clans, and the Peng, Chen, and Lin clans. In Taoyuan, mainstream politics is primarily based on area followed by clan influences; the least influential are political parties.
The main purpose of this study was to analyze the structural elements influencing the grassroots election participation of women in the counties and cities containing primarily Hakka communities in Taiwan. Specifically, this study aimed to provide a concrete presentation of the complex structures and contexts of grassroots elections. As a result, three main discoveries were made: I. Quotas for women still had a considerable effect on the participation of women in county council elections in small constituencies. II. In counties and cities with Hakka communities, political participation where the female candidates represented their husbands’ political families was prevalent. III. Although clan successors have traditionally been men, women candidating on behalf of their husbands do so in their husbands’ family names, fighting for their husbands’ clan identities.