成年子女敘說家庭飼養寵物犬對親子關係之影響

Abstract

社會邁向高齡及少子化的發展下，後現代家庭的組成人員也趨多元化，其中把寵物犬看待為家人，已成為當前值得深入探討的新興議題。本研究旨在以成年子女的視角，探討其與父母親於飼養寵物犬前後對親子關係的轉變故事。分析角度採家庭系統理論釐清家庭中新增人與寵物犬的次系統後，親子間看待寵物犬角色的轉變，如何因牠的存在而產生新的親子模式。以質性研究中的敘說方法，訪談四位性別各半，未婚與父母同住的成年參與者。從故事中發現親子間飼養寵物犬的四個主要經驗：一、成年子女為寵物犬的主要照顧者，並會負擔狗的支出費用，父母多為次要照顧者，父母退休若會增加照顧狗的時間。二、生活日常經驗為養狗會規律化家人的作息，而休閒部分平日會去附近遛狗，偶爾假日家人會帶狗出遊。三、參與者家庭飼養寵物犬整體以正面經驗居多，狗促進溝通互動、話題製造機、開心果效果、潤滑劑能轉移討厭的話題、緩解衝突的情緒警告器，亦能藉由狗傳達說不出口的情感，狗成為家人間的黏著劑。四、飼養狗的負面經驗有因對狗的角色認定不一，產生價值觀和醫療費用及分工責任的爭吵與抱怨、親子間與狗負面情緒的遷移，及受訪者太在乎狗而有擔心與顧慮。從故事中發現有四個飼養狗對親子關係影響之轉變歷程：ㄧ、寵物犬透過界域的可滲透性與情感外溢，成為新家庭成員，剛進入對家庭規則與角色定位和物理界域產生衝擊，也刺激家庭彈性空間的產生，經人寵次系統間正面情緒的遷移，最後提高家庭凝聚力與彈性，使家庭呈現偏健康的樣貌。二、子女從教導父母親養狗的子職行為中，雙方由教養狗的機會學習，獲得溝通與思考上的彈性；親子間的共識為讓狗有更好的生活為終極目標，此乃家庭繼續成長與飼養寵物犬的主因。三、親子間養狗的歷程關鍵事件能歸納為主軸事件「家庭原況」、「家庭規則」、「溝通互動」、「感情昇華」、「磨合衝突」及「融合穩定」。四、親子間養狗對親子關係之影響的轉變歷程可分為兩類型，第一類「先爭執後回彈再甜蜜」和第二類「先適應後平穩再甘甜」。研究亮點於較少被探究到成年子女與父母同住養狗的期間經驗，以及養狗前後對親子關係的轉變歷程，和人寵次系統。從中並發現親子間有共同希望狗有更好的生活的信念，使其家庭能繼續不斷朝此成長調整與維持養狗的狀態。最後，研究結果與建議供後續想養狗的家庭、家庭教育工作者、政府、寵物產業與企業，及有志力於家庭與同伴動物研究者之參考。Due to the aged society and the decreasing birth rate, the composition of postmodern families is becoming more diversified. Especially, treating petdogs as family members has become an emerging issue worthy of in-depth discussion. The purpose of this study is to explore the stories about changes of the parent-child relationship after raising petdogs from the perspective of adult children. The analysis of the present study shed light on the influence of petdogs on the changes between parents and children. Furthermore, the present study aims at to clarify the effect of “human-pet dog subsystem” from the perspectives of family system theory and how to extend a new parenting style because of the existence of petdogs. Two male and two female unmarried adult participants living with their parents were interviewed with the qualitative approach in this research.Four main experiences of parent-child raising petdogs were exposed from the stories in this research. First, children are the main caregivers of the petdogs and will bear their expenses. Moreover, parents are mostly parents secondary caregivers. If the parents retire, they will spend more time caring for the petdogs. Second, the daily experience of raising petdogs between parents and children is that raising a dog will regularize the family’s work and rest. Some of them will walk their petdogs on weekdays, and occasionally their family members will do so. Third, petdogs could be the common topic to parents and children. Besides, petdogs could relax a tense while parents and children were in a conflict situation. Fourth, medical expenses and division of responsibilities might be the main reasons that causing the quarrels and complaints between parents and children.According to the stories, there are four changes in the impact of petdogs breeding on the parent-child relationship. First, petdogs became a new family member through the permeability and emotional spillover of the boundary. When it first joined the family, it had an impact on the family rules, role positioning and physical boundary, and stimulated the generation of family flexible space. By the transfer of positive emotions from the human-pet dog subsystem, and finally improved the cohesion and flexibility of the family. Therefore, the family presented a healthy relationship.Second, teaching parents how to raising petdogs made the flexibility in communication. Third, the process of raising petdogs in family can be summarized as the main event, such as “the original family condition before raising petdogs”, “the family rules”, “communication and interaction”, “emotional sublimation”, “the conflict and adaptation”, and “the integration and stability. Fourth, the transformation process of the influence of petdogs raised by adult children and their parents on the parent-child relationship can be divided into two types. Type I, parents and children would communicate first leads to sublimation, then conflict and harmony. Type II, parents and children and then communicate with each other, and finally turn to a sublimated and stable relationship.The research is less explored in the experience of adult children living with their parents during the period of raising dogs, as well as the transformation process of parent-child relationship before and after raising dogs, and the human-pet dog subsystem. This paper found that there is a common belief in the hope that the dog will be better and healthier, so that the family can continue to adjust and maintain the state of dog-raising towards this growth. Finally, this research results can be used as a reference for subsequent families, family educators, relevant government departments, pet industries and enterprises who want to raise dogs, as well as researchers who are interested in family and companion animals.