進擊的歐巴桑─女性政治參與經驗與母職實踐的交會

Abstract

綜觀我國女性的政治參與歷程，雖在性別比例上有所增長，但卻始終未完全脫離女性在傳統政治場域內的邊緣地位，究其原因學者以資源論、結構論以及社會化理論加以解釋，其中社會化理論指出女性在成長過程中，被塑造為適合在私領域內扮演人妻和人母的角色，以致於女性缺乏政治參與的能力及意願，即便投入政治場域，亦會因為人妻或人母的身分，產生角色衝突而造成女性參政的邊緣性，或是較晚開始投入政治。國內研究結果亦驗證了社會角色理論對女性政治參與的影響，然而母職何須作為女性參政的羈絆？ 2018年底九合一大選中，歐巴桑聯盟在全台推出女性參政者，投入地方民意代表選舉，其背後是1200多個時常關心並參與環保、性別、勞工等各種社會議題的親子共學家庭，她們將政治參與視為母職實踐的責任，在日常生活中及帶著孩子參與社會倡議活動，並於2018年以母職身分號召21位媽媽參與地方民意代表的選舉，在投入政治參與的同時履行母職責任，突破傳統母職實踐與女性參政樣貌。本研究聚焦於這群歐巴桑聯盟女性參政者以母職身分投入政治參與的經歷，她們的政治社會化歷程為何？母職身分對她們的政治參與行動有何影響？她們又如何詮釋以母職參政的這段經歷？ 研究結果發現家庭不再是女性參政必要的助力，母職身分得以為女性帶來成人階段的再社會化，女性對於母職的再定義，以母職實踐與政治參與得以並行，打破女性主義對母職的正反辯證，亦即母職不再是削弱女性公民身分的原因，而得以成為女性踏入政治的助力。此外，具有政治意識的女性，將人權價值帶入母職實踐，使母職實踐場域跨越公／私領域的界線，母職思維得以擴張而涵蓋廣泛社會議題、民主價值與政府權力運作的思辨。

In recent years, the proportion of female political participation has increased significantly in Taiwan. Yet women are still found in disadvantaged status in the traditional political field. To explain the underrepresentation of women, gender gap theory proposes three main theories: (1)resources (education level and occupation), (2)socialization effects and (3)political structures. The socialization effects theory put stress on the sex-role socialization in which women are socialized to be passive and home-oriented. The role conflict between being a wife and a citizen also hampers their political career. But why should motherhood be a barrier to female participation in politics? In nine-in-one elections at the end of 2018, twenty one mothers in Obasan Union ran for local elected representatives. They are more than 1,200 parent-participating-education groups who cared about and participate in various social issues such as environmental protection, gender issues, and labor rights. They regard political participation as the responsibilities of motherhood practice so they took their children with them when they participated in social advocacy activities. To narrow the gap between ideal motherhood and reality, there were twenty one mothers nominated for local elected representatives. They succeeded in breaking the barriers between practicing motherhood and participating in politics. While participating in politics, they fulfilled their responsibilities as mothers and broke through the traditional motherhood practice and female political participation images. This research focuses on the experiences of this group of mothers participating in politics in the Obasan Union. What are their political socialization process? How does their motherhood affect their political participation? How do they interpret their experiences in participating in politics as mothers? The research found that family is no longer a necessary support for women to participate in politics, and that motherhood can bring about women re-socialization at their adult stage. Female political participants in Obasan Union redefine the meaning of motherhood so they can practice maternal responsibilities while participating in politics, breaking the dialectical relationship between women as a mother and as a citizen in feminist debate. In addition, they bring the values of human rights into motherhood practice, blurring the public/private field boundary and expanding maternal thinking to include critical thinking on a wider range of social issues, democratic values, and the exercise of government power.