馬來西亞托育照顧政策論述中的國家與性別，1980-2014

本研究透過論述分析和深度訪談8位女性菁英，批判馬來西亞托育照顧政策中，國家公領域「外柔內剛」的陽剛文化與私領域的傳統性別文化與家庭倫理，強化了女性的從屬位置，女性受制於母親和妻子的陰性角色。馬來西亞1970年代經歷快速工業化，全面邁向先進國目標。國家推動現代化發展需要大量的勞動力，女性因為國家發展加入了勞動市場成為經濟推手，同時，她們也肩負搖籃手的偉大角色繁衍和養育下一代，以滿足市場所需要的勞動力和生產力。國家順應現代資本發展和性別主流化政策，推動托育照顧政策以舒緩女性面對家庭工作兩頭燒的困境。私領域的父權框架，規範了女性身為母親與妻子的角色。女性的心理機制，受到父權文化、宗教的宰制與規訓，透過權力論述和話語，建構了「好媽媽」的性別規範，維繫了性別不平等的情況。雖然經濟發展擴張，女性受教育機會提高和參與勞動市場，改變了女性的經濟角色與性別權力關係。然而，不分種族、階級的女性依然會面對自主性與孩子責任之間的衝突與矛盾，母職並沒有因為政府提供的托育照顧政策而鬆動。公領域的父權思考與思維，將會阻礙國家建構一個性別平等的社會關係體系。國家藉由推動托育照顧機制以減緩職業婦女兩頭燒的困境，看似提供福利和保障女性權益的好政策，實際上卻有性別偏見。婦女真正的需求與問題，並沒有被解決。國家「歡迎」和「鼓勵」女性進入公領域，但是其背後的目的昭然若揭，是因為女性提供相對廉價的勞動力，因此，女性在公領域內仍居從屬地位。女性參與勞動市場，是平等的幻象遮蔽了公領域父權的陽剛文化，性別平等之路還是荊棘滿途。透過托育照顧議題，反思國家發展與傳統性別文化如何規範女性成為經濟推手和搖籃手，對「國家與性別」這個領域，提供了深具意義的對話。

關鍵字

國家；性別；托育照顧政策；陽剛文化；論述

並列摘要

The purpose of this research is to critique the Malaysia’s childcare policy by conducting discourse analysis and in-depth interview with eight female elites. The role and responsibility of women as wife and mother are clearly being shown as subordinate position from the point of view of masculine culture in the public sphere as well as the traditional culture and family ethics in the private sphere . Malaysia had experienced rapid industrialization process since 1970s in order to achieve the mission of become developed nation. Huge labor forces are required to support the development of national modernization, which females are playing just as important role as males. Besides contributing to the economic development, female are continuing to take up the traditional responsibility of child bearing and child nurturing in order to produce labor force for the future to meet the market demands and productivity. Malaysia government has been implementing childcare policies to ease the burden of female who are contributing to the work force and still bear the responsibility of domestic work. In private sphere, patriarchy is the dominant norm, where female are expected to play a good role as wife and mother, which brings out the unequal of gender scenario in general. The growth of the national economy seems to provide more opportunities for females to access education in order to join the work force later which also changes the role and gender relations among females, however the truth is that females, regardless of race and the social status, they are in the dilemma of being both a mother, wife and part of the labor force. The burden of motherhood has not loosened with the excursion of childcare policies which is enforced by the government. Patriarchy in public sphere, unfortunately, is a barrier towards a gender equality society. The Malaysian government are trying to promote childcare policies to help working female in order to ease their burden in both domestic and working aspect. However, gender bias still exists in these childcare policies; though the said policies seem to provide better protection and benefits to female rights, but in the reality, the needs and hardship of working female have not be resolved in a basic and sufficient manner. Females being part of the labor force might not reflex the gender equality in reality, but in fact, it obscures the masculine culture of the patriarchy in the public sphere. In another words, it is still a long journey towards gender equality.