A Study of Regional Geography in San-chien Village and Chung-yang Village, Shingang Shiang, Chiayi County

• Main Authors: Tsu-Ting Juan, 阮琡婷
• Other Authors: Lien-Shang Wu
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2002
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/00914095030674003303

碩士 === 國立高雄師範大學 === 地理學系 === 91 === Region, after being rigorously defined, refers to a part of surface of the earth. Its regional characteristics are not only made up of natural essential elements but also the interaction between crowds of people. Hence, based on the concept of POET ecological compound of Duncan and on the direction of new regional geography, this thesis attempts to explore the interrelationship and the changing process among humans, nature, and the society. On the basis of the scope of San-chien Village and Chung-yang Village in Shingang Shiang, Chiayi County, this thesis starts from realizing the natural environment to examine the regional characteristics composed of important factors, such as population, industries, religion, intermarriage, and so on. In other words, based on the foundation of natural conditions, this thesis implies to probe into the effects that economy, society and culture have made on the formation of the region and to edit a teaching activity of local geography in order to fulfil the affection goal set by homeland geography education. Chung-yang Village and San-chien Village are the typical traditional agricultural societies in which the residents mainly live on agriculture. Due to the influence of external environment─technological improvement, economic development, and so on, their internal environments─aspects of population, organization, natural environment, and agricultural technology─have been changed. Such a regional variation is a kind of adaptation and its result can be a regional feedback of villages and can affect the internal structure, further reflecting the regional characteristics shaped by the interrelationship among people, nature, and society. The conclusions of the study are as follows: 1. Natural environment and agricultural technology: On the basis of their natural environment─plain and tropical moist climate, Chung-yang Village and San-chien Village mainly live on agriculture despite the characteristic that the concentration of rainfall in summer is unfavorable to the growth of crops. In the aspect of agricultural technology, on account of the irrigation water resources provided by Jia nan da jun and Zhong xing jun, cultivation is less affected by rainfall. Moreover, due to the mechanization of farming tools and improvement of agricultural products, senior farmers choose to cultivate rice, which is more manpower-saving. Young farmers, on the other hand, direct their attention to grow pineapples, tomatoes, muskmelons, water chestnuts, and so on in order to earn more profits and meet the market demand. 2. Population: In early years, Chung-yang Village and San Village were concentrated settlements on the basis of geography or blood relationship. In the process of industrialization and urbanization, young and middle-aged people gradually migrated outward for the convenience of studying or earning more job opportunities, which resulted in the serious aging and shortage of farm labors. In 1987, after the establishment of Chung-yan Industrial District, more external population moved in and brought the commerce opportunities along county highway 166, and further prompted the variation of the village organization. 3. Organization: Traditional settlements based on blood and geography relationship were characterized with their small and simple interpersonal network, and mainly used manpower and animal power. During the cultivation of the year, the people solved the shortage of labor by ways of exchanging labor reciprocally with neighbors, relatives, and friends in the same village. And they maintaind the intimate interaction through offering sacrifices to gods or ancestors. Under the influence of industrialization and urbanization, the labor population in villages migrated outward, and the insufficient labor was resolved by hiring labor to utilize the machinery. People were connected by means of market mechanism. The interaction among villagers was less frequent; therefore, the sacrifice activities transformed from being ceremonious to a simpler style. With the improvement of transportation means, the interpersonal network was broadened, and the scope of intermarriage was thus expanded as well. Key words: regional characteristic, formation, regional change, internal/external environment