A Case Study of Chinese Family Economy and Development

A discussion of data gathered during a 16-month ethnographic study of a Hakka-speaking village in Mei-nun Township, Kaohsiung county, Taiwan. The fam is found to be very important as the unit for utilization of resources. Labor may be either domestic or extra-domestic. Labor exchange networks play a vital role in the economy. Fam's agree to swap a certain amount of labor, measured in kung, so that all involved will be able to obtain the labor they require. The kung is the unit for exchange of labor; it is equivalent to 1 adult performing a full day's work at a given agri'al task. In addition to kung exchange, there is also 'help' (t'en-chou). Help is practiced primarily by Pam's related by affinal or matrilateral ties, who are obligated to provide assistance whenever required & available. Another type of cooperation, on a compound rather than fam basis, occurs during weddings, birthday celebrations & funerals. The econ activities of a typical fam are described. Wedding customs include extensive giving of presents & a feast. The property held independently by the wife is called se-koi. It is considered bad taste for the husband to ask his wife how much se-koi she has. Productive resources may be either generated by fam holdings or come from outside sources. Both situations are illustrated by 2 diff fam histories. The father is the redistributor of the fam property; he is assisted by his wife. A woman may carry out certain econ activities over which this control cannot be exerted. These are generally limited to the non-agri'al sphere. When fam's eventually divide, the property is distributed as equally as possible. After agreement to separate, members of certain other Pam's are requested to convene a council. The majority of council members are kinsmen, mainly agnates. The council will witness, mediate, or arbitrate the partition of the estate. In a village, fam's at all phases of the development cycle may be found. It is concluded that the joint Chinese fam has important econ manag functions. In its context, agri'al & non-agri'al enterprises mutually support each other. It is inferred re pre-communist mainland China that in an environment where credit was weak, the flow of productive resources within joint fam's formed one of the most dependable lines of capital transmission. 2 Tables. M. Maxfield.