A Study of Social Values and Demographic Change: Empirical Evidence and the Implications for Taiwanese Women

• Main Authors: Torie Gervais, 紀小薇
• Other Authors: Wei, Mei-Chuan
• Format: Others
• Language: en_US
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/8fgadp

碩士 === 國立政治大學 === 亞太研究英語碩士學位學程(IMAS) === 105 === Confucianism has long influenced gender roles and family values in Taiwan. Yet despite Confucianism’s continued influence, fertility rates have dropped below replacement level, marriage is being postponed or rejected, percentages of men and women attending university are roughly equal, and women’s participation in the workforce and the government has increased. One proposed explanation is that Taiwan is following in the footsteps of Europe and undergoing the Second Demographic Transition. If Taiwan’s demographic changes were connected to similar value shifts as in Europe, women in Taiwan would benefit from greater freedom to choose their own life course and greater gender equality. This research sought to determine if there is evidence to support that Taiwan is undergoing the Second Demographic Transition and what the implications are for women. Cross-sectional data from 1985 and 2015 general questionnaires and the 2011 family questionnaire of the Taiwan Social Change Survey was analyzed for a potential link between value orientation and household type using multinomial logistic regression. In regression analyses, evidence did not support that Taiwanese society as a whole is experiencing the SDT, though evidence did support value shift over time. Survey data was supplemented with in-depth interviews with Taiwanese women to determine the reasons behind and impact of their union formation and life course choices. Interview data suggested that some sectors of society are undergoing the SDT while others are not. Furthermore, women reported gender equality and difficulty balancing their work and family life as barriers to following their desired life courses. Finally, this research concludes that further efforts are required to attain women’s freedom and equality in Taiwan.