| dc.description.abstract | Influence of Regional Development on Hakka Settlement:
a Case Study of Jhi-Ba-Li in Jhongli District
Abstract
When the local development is influenced by the regional plan and the relevant policies, Hakka villages have faced great impacts on the living environment. Hakka villages have developed the special man-earth relationship through the long-term history and culture; however, in the recent decades, Hakka villages in Taiwan have been rapidly changing in succession under the urban plan of the government. Construction of high-speed rail enables the Jhi-Ba-Li Hakka Village, which is close to the suburb, to become a place coveted by the builders. Influence of this phenomenon on the Hakka culture not only lies in changes of the settlement landscape, but also changes constitution of the community as well as the local belief.
After demolition of the settlement-type triangle courtyard, some residents have moved to other places; opportunities for Hakka language application have decreased and the application ability has reduced. Great pressure has been caused on the existence of the weak languages more due to influence of the unified language policy; thus, whether language (mother tongue) can continue and inherit becomes the key topic for the weak ethnic groups and survival of their culture. Language not only presents its vitality as well as growth and decline according to objective condition, but is also the basic motivation for ethnic identity and ethnic mobilization. An ethnic group with strong cohesion and strong ethnic group awareness can maintain its language vitality not to fall through the conscious collective efforts.
It is the change in social solidarity after modernization from mechanical solidarity to organic solidarity. Such change in social solidarity strengthens the community awareness in the rural areas because the residents may not realize the boundary line of the settlement originally or the strength of community awareness; however, they find that some cultures must be preserved after the modernized process; thus, cohesion of community awareness has been strengthened.
Keywords: Jhi-Ba-Li, Hakka settlement, high-speed rail, language application, community awareness
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