家庭政策與家庭意識形態之關係－以美國兩黨家庭政策演進為例

Abstract

近年來，家庭研究學者發現，家庭意識形態已經受到家庭政策的影響；而家庭型態的多元，也正考驗著家庭政策制定是否能反應當代家庭的需要。本研究從近 40 年來，美國「家庭救助津貼」、「所得稅抵免及退稅」、「托育」、「家庭照顧假」等 4 大攸關家庭的政策，探討美國共和、民主兩黨各自堅持的家庭意識形態，對其家庭政策制定的影響；以及不同家庭政策如何影響美國民眾對於「家庭」此一意識形態。並從家庭政策的目標與定位、「傳統型家庭」與「就業型家庭」的政策意識形態、托育究竟可否視為一項工作、家庭意識形態的演進等四個角度，探討「家庭政策」與「家庭意識形態」的關係。最後從家庭教育工作者的角度，建議家庭政策應更多融入家庭教育，回歸家庭教育「教育」、「預防」的本質，及以本土家庭研究影響政策制定的目標，重新從「人」與「關係」為視角，讓家庭教育減少家庭政策的成本，才是不同家庭意識形態的演進中，不變的政策核心。

In recent years, family research scholars have found that family ideology has been influenced by family policies. The diversity of family patterns is also testing whether the formulation of family policies can reflect the needs of contemporary families. This study examines the four major family-related policies implemented in the United States over the past forty years, i.e., Family Assistance Payments, Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), Childcare and Family Care Leave. Through the examination, this study explores how different family ideologies held by the U.S. Republican and Democratic parties have influenced their family policy making as well as how different family policies affect the ideology of "family" among the U.S. public. In addition, the study investigates the relationship between "family policies" and "family ideology" from the following four perspectives: the objectives and orientation of family policies, the policy ideologies of "traditional family" and "employment-type family", whether childcare can be regarded as an occupation, and the evolution of family ideology. Finally, the study proposes the following suggestions from the angle of family educators. First, family education should be integrated into family policies more, thereby redirecting greater focus to the fundamental essence of family education, i.e., "education" and "prevention". In addition, local family research should be taken as a reference for the objective formulation in policymaking. Reducing the cost of family policies through family education by re-adopting the perspectives of "people" and "relationship" should invariably sit at the core of policymaking throughout the evolution of different family ideologies.