無名商品轉變為文創商品之歷程-以苑裡磚瓦及藺草帽蓆為例

Abstract

高溫、高熱、噪音大的磚窯廠，現在成為了觀光工廠；失去功能的老舊農會穀倉，現在改建成為藺草文化館。早期做為建材、外銷商品的磚瓦與藺草帽蓆，現今除了原有的功能外，更成為展示品、藝術品。當原先已搖搖欲墜的窯業與帽蓆業，在結合地方特色文化轉型之後，目前已成為苗栗縣苑裡鎮的重要觀光資源，磚瓦與藺草帽蓆也因此創造出了全新的價值與生命力，也使整個產業得以延續。 本研究為質性研究，以磚瓦及藺草帽蓆為研究對象，透過與當地居民、業者們的訪談及文史資料的彙整，探討地方、產業及文化三者的互動過程與關聯性，並藉由物與物性理論，探討苑裡磚瓦與藺草帽蓆，在整體產業發展興盛、沒落以及轉型等不同階段中，其被地方所賦予的價值與意義；另以行動者網絡理論，討論磚瓦與藺草物性轉變過程及其於不同階段，各行動者如何賦予其不同價值與意義的過程。 研究將苑裡窯業與帽蓆業的發展分為興盛、沒落與轉型三個階段進行討論。在發展興盛的階段，磚瓦與藺草帽蓆為苑裡的重要商品，是地方重要的經濟來源；當市場價值消失之後，產業逐漸沒落，磚瓦與藺草帽蓆對於地方的重要性也已不再；然而在政府相關資源的支持之下，地方重新重視窯業與帽蓆業的發展歷程，並將磚瓦與藺草帽蓆認定為地方文化的象徵，也因此轉型成為文化創意商品，使沒落的產業與商品重新受到重視。然而在苑裡磚瓦與藺草的案例中了解，市場對於產業發展有著極大的影響力，雖然磚瓦與藺草與地方特色結合已逐漸轉型成為文化創意商品，但在轉型的過程中，如何讓商品於注入地方文化後，得以創造出全新的價值並且讓市場接受，更是產業永續發展的重要關鍵。Those with high temperature, heat and levels of noise brick kiln factories now have become tourism factories; likewise, the old and abandoned barn once owned by a farmers’ association has been reconstructed as rush culture museum. Bricks, rush hats and rush mats, despite of its original use as construction materials and export products, have become artifacts and art works in exhibitions. The once fading brick industry and hat-mat industry, combining with local culture, have transformed into a crucial tourism resource in Yuan-li, Miao-li County; therefore, Bricks and rush products are given a whole new value and vitality, making these industries able to continue. This study is a qualitative research on bricks, rush hats and mats which discussed the interaction and connection among the region, industries and culture through interviews with local residents and people in the industries. The researcher used the theory of notion of things to find the value and meaning of bricks, rush hats and mats in Yuan-li given by the region in several development stages, the rise, fall and transformation, experienced by the whole local industry; furthermore, the researcher discussed the transformation of the notion of bricks and rush, and the process of how each actor gave different value and meaning to them during each development stage based on ANT (actor-network theory). The study divided the development of brick industry and hat-mat industry in Yuan-li into three stages as the rise, the fall and the transformation. At the rise stage, bricks, rush hats and mats are important merchandise for local economy. The industry decayed when the market value of these products vanished, so did the importance they had to the region; however, with the support of government resource, people in Yuan-li paid attention to the development of brick and hat-mat industry again, and identified bricks, rush hats and mats as symbols of local culture. The fading industry thus transformed into cultural and creative industry, regaining attention by the market. From the case, we learned that the market has enormous influence on industry development. Although bricks and rush has gradually become cultural and creative products via integration with local characteristics, we should notice that the key to sustainable development for an industry is how we integrated products with local culture and be able to create a whole new value being acceptable for the market during the process of transformation.