風險社會中公民參與模式之研究︰以社區大學為例

Abstract

SARS 事件對於台灣社會產生了重大衝擊，使得「風險社會」的理論獲得普遍重視，愈 來愈多人體認到，風險不只指客觀存在的危險，更涉及到許多主觀的、非物質的、社會、心 理、文化的因素。而這種較複雜的「風險社會學」觀點，也符應了對於風險應當進行全面性 反省，不能僅僅侷限在自然科學、醫學或相關科技領域的迫切需求。本研究計畫扣緊當前的 問題脈絡，希望藉助國外理論的洞見，檢視本土經驗的特色，並尋求建立台灣公民社會面對 未來風險事件時的因應模式。 由於在SARS 風暴中，台灣各地的社區大學表現出民間自發組織的創意與活力，對於 對抗風險起了安定的作用。本研究計畫擬以兩所社區大學作為研究對象，運用焦點團體和參 與觀察等方法，一方面探討其開設之學術性課程，是否具有傳播風險知識之功能，而對於改 善風險知識分配的不平等有所助益，另一方面則鎖定台灣社區大學特有之公共性社團課程， 觀察其提供之公民參與管道，能否有效增加社區網絡的風險治理功效。簡言之，透過社區大 學，台灣的公民可以進行靜態的知識參與，亦可以投入動態的行動參與，來協助個人及社區 共同防治可能的風險。

Since 『Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)』 has aroused huge panic in Taiwan, the theory about 『risk society』 would be seen as an important source to understand the phenomenon of risk again. And according the complicate view of 『sociology of risk』, risk contains not only objective, physical dangers, but also a lot of subjective, non-material, socio-psychological-cultural elements as well. This research project attempts to re-examine the theoretical implications of 『risk society』 in context of Taiwanese experience, with hope that such experience can improve our treatment against SARS or other risks in the future. During the period of SARS epidemic, some of community universities in Taiwan have organized series of activities to fight the fear of disease, and such activities should be took as exemplar of civic engagements to self-protection of risk. This project is going to conduct a qualitative survey in two community universities, in order to explore the function of distribution of risk knowledge, and the model of citizen participation in these institutes of adult education. Finally, this project tries to show the meaning of civic engagement in the era of 『global risk society』, which no one escape can but face it with knowledge and courage.