| Summary: | 碩士 === 高雄醫學大學 === 性別研究所 === 97 === The sons as family caregivers have been a social reality but are usually invisible and neglected. This research was conducted by feminist methodology and qualitative analysis. The author interviewed nine sons who took care of their aged and cognitive impaired parents by themselves. The aims of this study are to investigate the formation process of son caregivers, their caring performance and caring related concepts by using theories of gender relationship, doing gender and hegemonic masculinity.
First, we found the formation of son caregivers was associated with the power relation among sons, daughters and daughters-in-law in patrilineal/ patriarchy/ patrilocal families in Taiwan. Besides filial symbolic relation also plays a role in such process. Single or the eldest sons are most likely to be influenced by these two gender relationships which made them come to decisions for parents caring and undertake the responsibilities and duties as well. As more women participate in the paid jobs and many middle/old-aged men retired, the productive relation in the family did change. As mothers’ life expectancy prolonged, the paternal line in the uterine family and emotional fidelity relationships between mothers and children also prolonged, it suggests a new perspective of sons being caregivers to their aged and cognitive impaired mothers in post-modern society. The gender relationship including power, symbolic, production and emotional relationships closely interwoven with each other, results in different caring characteristics from those previously carried out by daughters or daughters-in-law.
Second, though caregiving is stereotypically related to femininity in our culture, the caregiving experiences of the sons’ do not contradict with assumed masculinity. Sons'' masculinity expression which is different from hegemonic ideal mixing both feminine and masculine characteristics, allows them to reveal their emotions and do house keeping chores. While caring their parents, sons achieved caring goals and resolved problems in masculine way via parent-child interaction to consolidate their male identity that continues to support the hegemonic ideal.
Finally, sons does not change their gendered concept of caregiving that the caring responsibility for parents is exclusive for women, even sons participate in daily parents'' caring. The core belief of caregiving as feminine work is unshakable even some men have made contribution to caregiving.
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