初探女同志家庭親屬工作之運作

A Study on Kin Work of Lesbian Couple

為了解女同志伴侶進行親屬工作的策略及意義，本研究運用質性研究中深度訪談的方法，訪談五對同居兩年以上的女同志伴侶，並進行資料分析。 本研究歸納出幾點結論:女同志伴侶首先採取「我們是姐妹淘」、「提供對方家庭實際協助」、「住進伴侶家」三種方式進入對方原生家庭，以減少許多來自家人的阻礙，進而以「家事活動」、「修繕房屋」、「重要節日及商量家事」三大項親屬工作，運用這些看似平常的家庭活動來與對方家人產生連結與情感互動，建構出與對方無血緣或無合法性、卻等同家人的親屬關係與家人的實體感。本研究亦發現，女同志伴侶透過親屬工作來獲得雙方家人的認同，進而更加鞏固伴侶間親密關係，使親屬工作成為穩固同志伴侶關係的另一項能量。而親屬工作的運作，也成為女同志伴侶一種較具能動性的現身方式，且使女同志的家以一種抽象卻具體的方式存在。 本研究發現可以提供女同志伴侶在既有的父權結構與異性戀社會中，建構同志家庭及與原生家庭維繫良好親密關係的參考，投入親屬工作可以促進女同志伴侶對於身份認同與親密關係之反思與能動。

In order to understand the strategies and meanings of the lesbian couples' kin work, the researcher adopted this qualitative research method with in-depth interviews on the five lesbian couples cohabiting over two years and did the thematic analysis with the information obtained. The conclusion of this study are as follows: lesbian couples entered each other's family of origin by starting with “we are just good friends”, “providing practical assistance to the other family”, “moving into the partner's home”, in order to reduce obstructions from both families of origin. They then engaged in three major activities, which appeared to usual family activities, “family daily life chores”, house repairing”, and “discussion of the important family events and matters”, thus, further created emotional interactions in daily life and constructed a family-like relation with people who had no biological or legal bounds. Operating kin work, the lesbian couples earned the acceptance of each other's family of origin and further enhanced intimate relationships between themselves. Therefore, engaging in kin work became a powerful way for the lesbians to come out to others and made them feel that their own families existed in an abstract yet concrete way. The study found out that kin work is useful resources to maintain intimate relationships among lesbian families and families of origin in the existing patriarchal structure and heterosexual society. By devoting to kin work, the lesbians can reflect on their identities and intimate relationships and make good contribution to their family relationships.