| dc.description.abstract | The thesis aims to discuss the Hakka women’s transformation on the concept of
marriage in the modern society after the industrialization and modernization of the
traditional society. In the past, the concept of marriage was influenced by patriarchy.
Men were regarded as superior to women, especially in the Hakka society, which
emphasized Confucianism. The Hakka women were hardworking and obedient to their
husbands. As education is popularized, the women’s education level has been raised.
After the women enter the labor market, they also step outside their family and secure
economic independence. This has changed the women’s status in family and the power
relationship between couples. From the women’s perspective, I’d like to find the
meaning of the married Hakka women’s transformation from the traditional family
concept to the modern family concept in their marriage life in the modern society.
In my thesis, I will have a deep interview with twelve married Hakka women. They
are separated into two groups with six in each group. The married Hakka women at the
age of 50 to 60 are the first generation of my target. Those at the age of 25 to 35 are the
second generation. I’ll collect their individual experiences in marriage and in life
including how they view their marriage and their opinions on marriage after they
experience it. I will make a comparison between the two generations to understand their
differences. My thesis based on the theory of modernization will compare the two
generations’ differences about meaning of marriage, their views on marriage, their
choices of marriage, their family economy, and the division of housework.
In the thesis, I’ve found that the married Hakka women of the first generation have
higher educational backgrounds and that they tend to agree to the modern family
concepts more than others of the same age. For them, it is necessary for women to work
outside. For the first generation, they can therefore change their family status. For the
second generation, they can prove their own value. The key factors that contribute to the
transformation on the concept of marriage between generations are education, economy,
and social network. The second generation is influenced more by modernization and by
the Hakka culture less than the first generation.
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