然而，不可否認的是婚姻與家庭兩者之間有著密切的相關性；透過婚姻關係的維持得以成立一個家庭，而家庭成員各司其職地扮演好自己的角色，亦是社會主流價值中對家庭的普遍想像。本研究發現在現代社會當中，個人對於生活的要求逐漸提高，在心理與情感上的需求也更為濃厚；進而對家庭與婚姻的要求也有所不同。研究者試圖闡明「家庭」在現今社會所遭遇到的質疑與挑戰；並說明廣義的家與家人新定義與新詮釋，從而發現與比較兩者之間的差別。 With the rising levels of education, the average age for marriage tends to increase along with the phenomenon of staying single. The traditional expectation for marriage at certain age has gradually been replaced by the pursuit of self realization. As a consequence, images of marriage begin to change and affect the vitality and meaning of traditional family. This research conducts a thorough examination of the context and discourses on marriage and family. In addition, the presence of multiple family structures in Taiwan and the literature on meanings of home were analyzed.
Furthermore, non-traditional families include all types of possible structures were under discussion by this research. Cohabitation was chosen as the as the focus of observation, mainly because that men and women who cohabit substantially live together as married couples. However, their relationship is free from marital duties or law. Adopting semi-structural interviews, the study aims at exploring the emerging imaginations and definitions of family from people who cohabitate. The study means to find out whether the traditional structure of family built by marriage and sanguinity still stands. If not, what replaces it? Further, the researcher analyzes the concept of marriage for the masses and the types of non-traditional families possibly resulted from the current or changing values of the future.
Nonetheless, the intertwined relationship between marriage and family are undeniable. The mainstream values of family and marriage will still play a vital role in the near term future. This research found a new phenomenon that individual has started to seek higher quality of life in Taiwanese society. Their emotional and physical well-being becomes more pronounced resulting in different quest for marriage and family. The analysis also attempts to clarify the doubts and challenges family of nowadays confront. The result also suggests that the meaning of home and family deserves to be refined and re-interpreted within a broad societal context.
