本文希望定位台灣目前針對移入人口之社會學研究知識的累積與限制,並對未來的研究方向提出建議。本文以兩種方式檢視目前移民社會學知識的成果,一是將移民社會學的研究與台灣社會學其他的研究興趣關連起來,討論移民研究如何與其他領域的議題對話;二、針對台灣移民社會學的研究方向與方法論立場提出批判性的反省。本文首先指出台灣移民社會學研究,其知識累積除了對於移民相關議題有進一步瞭解之外,作為一個社會學次領域,提供Robert Merton所說的策略性的研究素材(strategic research materials)讓我們深入理解台灣社會的其他重要面向:一方面回應台灣社會學長期關心的許多問題;另一方面發掘新的挑戰與新的問題。本文第二部份則提出台灣移民社會學的發展目前面臨的兩個主要問題,一是理論化的不足或過度集中,二是受限於「方法論的國族主義」。本文最後建議關心移居台灣此一新興現象的社會學研究者在研究主題上應更加多元化,另外,在理論命題上建立更多的連結。
Increasing significance of new immigration to Taiwan since early 1990s has brought a quick accumulation of sociological knowledge on newcomers in Taiwan. The purpose of this essay is to examine the external linkages of this emerging subfield and other sociological fields and at the same time reflect upon the internal problems of this newly established field. First, this essay aims to link this emerging field to a number of significant subfields in sociology to avoid possible ”ghettoization” of emerging fields such as sociology of migration. Utilizing the idea of ”strategic research materials” introduced by Robert Merton, this essay first examines the ways that these research findings speak to old concerns and bring new issues in sociological knowledge of several subfields. Second, by pointing out some of the pitfalls in current immigration theory-building and methodological nationalism, this essay calls for new ways to foster diversified research topics and closer linkages among arguments to try to build coherent theorizing processes.