台灣民族學的發展與意義

Abstract

民族學ethnology研究「民族ethnos，及附著於其身的文化」，台灣的民族學，研究對象是台灣諸民族/民族集團：原住民族、客家、Lán-lâng/Holo、外省人。其中，學科傳統領域研究的首為台灣原住民族，在政策的支持下，客家研究亦開始展現成果。原住民族研究和客家研究，已有整體性「知識體系」的建構。台灣其餘民族的學問，則以民俗學或地方學來表達，其體系尚待發展。 作為近代學術的民族學，在台灣有其特別的歷史發展過程。由日本治理台灣時，為了施政所進行的大規模調查、與稍後的學術研究開始，累積成果。國民政府來台之後，以誌書的編寫及審查圈錮地方知識份子，確立「以本土為地方」，以台灣為學科的練習場，並橫殖入文獻學研究的中國邊疆民族史。民主化之後，台灣主體性漸漸展現，本土研究開始興盛，教育系統與學術系統對台灣的觀點也開始正常化。對自身生活環境的興趣，則以「地方學」的樣態出現。 台灣為一多民族的國家，清楚了解諸民族及其文化，為「屬族」的學問，以國家的文化主體性為學問的對象，可以稱為「台灣學」。台灣學為「屬國」的學問，為台灣的國學，其核心應該為台灣的民族學。台灣學或國學的發展，尚待觀察，但並非空想。

Ethnology is the study of ʻethnos, and the culture attached to itʼ. The research objects of Taiwanese ethnology are the ethnos/ethne/ethnic groups of Taiwan: Indigenous, Hakka, Lán-lâng/Holo, and Waishengren. Among them, the Indigenous peoples are the primary target of the disciplineʼs traditional sphere of research, while under policy supports, studies of Hakka are maturing as well. For the studies of Indigenous and Hakka, a complete ʻknowledge systemʼ has already been constructed. As for the studies of Taiwanʼs other ethne, they are usually expressed as folklore studies or localogy, while the body is pending to be developed. Ethnology as a modern discipline has its unique historical trait in Taiwan. Since Japanʼs rule, results had been accumulated by extensive investigations for administration and by later academic researches. After the Nationalist government came to Taiwan, it confined the local academics to the writings and censorship of ʻpagusographyʼ; it established ʻnative country as localityʼ and Taiwan as the practice field of disciplines, and transplanted Chinaʼs frontier ethnohistory under the discipline of philology. After the democratisation, Taiwanʼs subjectivity gradually emerged, the studies of locality started to bloom, and the perspective of education and academic systems towards Taiwan began to normalise as well. The interests to oneʼs living place occurred in the appearance of ʻlocalogyʼ. Taiwan is a multiethnic nation; to understand the ethne and their culture, is a study of ethnos; to treat the nationʼs cultural subjectivity as the subject of study can be referred to as ʻTaiwanologyʼ. Taiwanology is a study of nation, which is the nationology of Taiwan, and its core should be Taiwanese ethnology. The development of Taiwanology or Taiwanese nationology is still subject to further observation, yet it is not a fantasy.