For the past three decades, to meet the increasing need for long-term care, the Taiwanese government’s primary approach has been to import migrant care workers. In this article, we analyse qualitative interview data produced in an Indigenous community. Drawing on Kittay’s feminist dependency theory, we explore the interrelationships and collaborative efforts between live-in carers and their employers. Three types of relationships were identified: ‘unsupportive relationships’, where the live-in carer was treated as a servant; ‘supportive relationships’, where the live-in carer was treated as a care worker; and ‘semi-supportive relationships’, where the live-in carer was treated as a carer-servant. In conclusion, the article sheds light on how the live-in carer arrangement could be practised in ways that allow live-in carers and thereby their care recipients to thrive. 過去三十年來, 為因應民眾日漸沉重的長期照顧需求, 台灣政府的首要對應措施是引進外籍看顧工. 本文分析原住民部落中所蒐集到的質性訪談. 我們以美國哲學家 Kittay 的女性主義依賴理論為鏡, 梳理外籍看護工與雇主之間的互動與關聯, 以及如何合作. 我們歸類了三種關係, 分別為「缺乏支持的關係」, 也就是外籍看護工被當作僕傭對待;「被支持的關係」, 意即外籍看護工被當作照護工作者; 以及「類支持的關係」, 意思是外籍看護工既被當作照護工作者, 也被當作傭人. 本文結論揭示了如何透過實務的安排, 使外籍看護工以及被照顧的長者都適得其所.
This article examines how older Tayal, an Indigenous people in Taiwan, regain, reclaim and renegotiate their identities by reconnecting to Hmali’ (the Tayal language), rgrgyax (mountains) and Gaga (the Tayal Law). A critical qualitative design informed by Tayal hermeneutics was used. In total, 14 bbnkis (elders) were interviewed, and the data were thematically analysed. The aim of this article is to contribute to the ongoing revitalization processes in Taiwan. Such revitalization processes often tend to reinforce the quest for authentic Indigenous identities, as if indigeneity could be reduced to a pale reproduction of how things used to be in the old days. Our findings show that indigeneity is not about returning to a fixed past. Instead, it is about writing back against the colonial framework that was imposed on the Indigenous peoples and, in that way, healing from trauma.
Recruiting migrant live-in carers has become the main strategy to address the rapid increase in the number of older persons with intensive care needs in many parts of the developed world. This is also the case in northern Taiwan, where this study took place. Thirteen live-in carers from Indonesia and the Philippines were interviewed in the fall of 2019. In this article, we discuss their two main coping strategies: a) "accepting destiny", which refers to carers accepting their life and viewing their role as a live-in carer as a job that allowed them to meet their parents' expectations of financial support; and b) "connecting to significant others", which is the most important way carers found motivation to keep going. However, despite their coping strategies, working as a live-in carer was experienced as a challenging and precarious lifestyle. In the conclusion, we discuss how professional social workers in collaboration with decision-makers and non-governmental organizations in Taiwan could contribute to fostering a system that would support live-in carers in ways that allow them, and the older persons they care for, to thrive.
It is agreed that Indigenous scholars should be central in researching Indigenous issues. However, the literature on Indigenous research methodologies remains vague on who should be involved. This study aims to lower the entry barrier to Indigenous methodologies for anyone wholeheartedly committed to contribute to the decolonizing processes of Indigenous communities and beyond. We do so by exploring the main challenges experienced by the first author during her doctoral journey and highlighting how these challenges were dealt with. Four themes identified were as follows: (1) the colonial gaze, (2) battling with the concept of authenticity, (3) recognizing Indigeneity in the ordinary, and (4) reconciliation with the past to pave the way toward a better future. Three lessons learned are discussed. A vision for a more inclusive Indigenous inquiry is offered, suggesting that reconnection, reclaiming and sovereignty are key to establishing an ethical space between Indigenous ways of knowing and the existing dominant knowledge systems.
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