對傳統貧窮研究方法的省思：一個女性主義的觀點

Reconsiderations of the Approach in Conventional Poverty Studies: A Feminist Perspective

李安妮(Annie Lee)

《婦女與兩性學刊》 5期 (1994/04) Pp. 165-183

https://doi.org/10.6255/JWGS.1994.5.165

摘要

本文主要在探討採用傳統貧窮研究方法，將掩蓋女性在多方面的貧窮現象，而此種隱藏性或不被覺察性的效果，對「貧窮女性化」意涵的詮釋也產生分歧的看法。本文首先說明傳統貧窮研究方法，之所以採用「家戶」爲分析貧窮的基本單位，事實上是以幾項廣泛被接受的假說作爲其前提的，包括「家庭內部資源共享」、「家庭內部消費的不可切割性」以及「規模經濟」等，對家庭內部運作的一些假設。然而，本文作者認爲從許多女性觀點的研究結論可以發現到，試圖以傳統貧窮研究方法所做的研究來解釋女性貧窮現象，至少在下列幾方面是經不起考驗的。首先，家庭內部資源分配型態已被證實存在著多樣性，使得「資源共享」原則無法被接受，由於資源不必然共享，貧戶中的貧窮也不必然平均分擔，研究指出多數貧窮的家庭事實上是女性在承擔貧窮的重擔而並非男性。其次，非貧戶中不一定就沒有貧窮的女性，許多生活水準正好在貧窮線以上之家庭，被發現他們的所得之所以能超越貧窮線，主要是來自家中女性自我貧窮化的貢獻。其三，有愈來愈多的女性不但不是完全的經濟依賴者，還是完全的經濟被依賴者，因此，認爲女性在各種社會制度裡所受到的歧視並非其致貧原因的說法，其實是掩耳盜鈴的做法。其四，如果將「所得」此一概念擴及時間或伴隨所得而來的權力，則女性貧窮的範圍與程度將不僅止於上述這些。

關鍵字

貧窮女性化 ； 自我貧窮 ； 強迫性利他主義 ； 零用錢

並列摘要

The main argument in this paper is that the conventional studies of poverty focusing on the resources of collective units have the effect of obscuring gender differences in the causes, extent and experience of poverty. In the first part of this paper, the author concludes three main reasons why researchers have concentrated on families and households rather than on individuals. First, based on the assumption of equal intra-household resources shared, it is argued that to measure individual income would vastly overestimate the extent of poverty. Secondly, many of the items which contribute to any individual's standard of living are items of joint consumption. Therefore, attempts to assign these items of joint consumption to individuals would be meaningless. Thirdly, sharing a home is assumed to result in proportionately lower levels of need. These assumed ”economies of scale” are reflected in many benefit scale rates.
In the second part, the author indicates that the conventional poverty studies have largely ignored the distribution of resources and needs within the units measured, and the particular economic circumstances of women are therefore obscured in several ways. First, the burden of poverty falls mainly upon women. Secondly, that most families with the income just above the poverty line are able to escape from poverty is resulted from women's self pauperisation. Thirdly, the assumption of women's financial dependence on men is not only inaccurate but is actually damaging to women. Fourthly, the incorporation into relative definitions of poverty of important social dimensions such as powerlessness and the value of time would enlarge the economic position gap between men and women.

並列關鍵字

feminisation of poverty,self pauperisation ； compulsory altruism ； pin money