本研究起源於個人曾任社會救助人員工作經驗上的困惑，究竟低收入戶在脫離福利之後能否走出貧窮？臺灣現時關於脫貧及離開者的探索不足。本研究目的在於透過探索低收入戶家庭如何主觀詮釋其貧窮歷程經驗，並從政府社會救助相關人員的視角，來理解他們如何看待貧窮、窮人與社會救助制度，進而分析國家社會救助制度在低收入戶家庭能否脫貧過程中的作用。 / 本研究立基建構主義的研究典範，採取質性研究取向，透過深度訪談法及文獻分析法蒐集資料，並以主題分析法來分析。在分析框架，結合貧窮歷程「進入、持續與脫離」的時間面向，以及「微觀、中觀及宏觀」的層次面向，並以社會排斥理論作為主要對話的理論。 / 研究發現，微觀層次，低收入戶家庭的主觀經驗，脫離救助不等於脫離貧窮，他們貧窮生活經驗的三部曲依次為「不穩定、步入穩定及向上提升或再次不穩定」，經歷福利制度的「排斥、融入及排斥」。中觀層次，社工漸失扶貧角色，工作者認為個案是否值得幫助以及個案的策略，會影響工作處遇及互動經驗，同時兼具融入及排斥角色。宏觀層次，社會救助制度透過親屬責任、工作倫理安排，在進入前產生制度性排斥；持續期間能夠穩定低收入戶的生活，發揮融入作用，但無助積極脫貧；離開後缺乏支持和緩衝，陷入再排斥危機。 / 基於研究發現，研究綜合討論了五個議題。首先，脫離福利不等於走出貧窮，還需經濟、心理自立，才能穩健離開。脫貧四種可能類型為「重返貧窮」、「心有餘力不足」、「有力心不安」以及「穩健離開」。第二，子女助脫貧，前提是能就業、願反饋，否則將反受勞動及福利排斥。第三，宏觀制度安排外，中觀工作者如何執行亦是排斥與否的關鍵。工作者與個案互動的四種類型為「傾力相助，融入」、「無奈讓步，不情願融入」、「順應民意，非意圖融入」以及「斷然拒絶，排斥」。第四，社會救助制度穩定生活有助融入，缺乏脫貧措施，易再造成排斥。第五，國家非蓄意排斥，唯怕崩解、防弊及缺服務，難大破大立；個案關注離開階段，基於權利，自我調整並結合外力，展開反排斥；工作者關注進入階段，立基公平正義，個別裁量及集體倡議展開反排斥。 / 最後，發現國家制度、執行工作者與福利使用者，三者都是有行動力的主體，本身既是融入者，也是排斥者和反排斥者，並非分立，而是交互影響的。因此提出以綜融性觀點來檢視跨層次間的作用，更有助於理解研究議題。未來三個層次要同步改變，才有助低收入戶長遠脫離貧窮。 / The main question of this research came from the researcher’s experience as a social assistance worker: whether the low-income households can get out of poverty after they left the social welfare system? The situation of the welfare leavers is under-researched in Taiwan. Therefore, the purposes of this thesis are, firstly, to explore the subjective interpretation of low-income households on their experience in poverty; secondly, from the perspectives of social assistance workers, to understand how they perceive poverty, the poor people and social assistance institutions; and finally, to analyze the effectiveness of social assistance institutions in helping the poor to get out of poverty. / Based on the stance of constructivism, this research is qualitative-oriented, and the data was collected through in-depth interviews and literature analysis. By adopting thematic analysis, the analytical framework of this research consists of two dimensions: time and levels. The former suggests to the process of poverty: the point of entry, the status of continuum and the point of escaping; and the latter presents the micro, messo and macro levels of analysis. The whole process of analysis and discussions are examined mainly through the lens of social exclusion theory. / The findings of this study can be divided into three levels. At the micro level, although the low-income households have left social assistance, it did not mean that they can get out of poverty. Their living experience of poverty could be seen as a trilogy, demonstrated sequentially as the stages of being unstable, gradually become stable, and situation improved or being unstable again. They experienced of being excluded, integrated and re-excluded from the welfare system in this process. At the messo level, social workers have gradually deviated from the role of helping the poor. Instead, whether the clients are "deserving" or "undeserving" poor in workers’ mind and the strategies their clients decide to adopt for their circumstances, were the main factors which contributed to future treatment and interactions with each other. In this regards, the workers can take up the role of helping the poor to integrate or excluding the poor. At the macro level, the institutional exclusion emerged at the beginning through relative’s responsibility and work ethics requirements when the clients applied the assistance. During the period with assistance, the assistance exerted its integrative impact to stabilize the clients’ living standard; however, it did not offer an effective solution for the clients to escape from their poverty. After the assistance ceased, the clients risked being excluded again due to lack of support or buffer to prevent themselves from the immediate economic pressure. / According to the findings, five issues are discussed in this thesis. First of all, the welfare leavers do not immediately experience the complete escape from poverty. Instead, the economic and mental independence play the key roles. There are four types of patterns in terms of getting away from poverty: ‘leave but fall into poverty again’, ‘with strong will but not capable of leaving poverty’, ‘with capability but without confidence’, and ‘on track to leave without coming back’. Secondly, if the poor expect to get rid of poverty through the strength of their children, it highly depended on the children’s capability of employment and their willingness to support their parents. Otherwise, they might end up being excluded by the labor market and the welfare system. Thirdly, besides the institutional factors at the macro level, how social workers provide services in practice at the messo level is also essential. It is found that there are four types of interactions between workers and the clients: ‘full effort to support and integration ‘retreat unwillingly and unwilling integration’, ‘to follow public opinion and unintend integration’ and ‘refuse boldly and exclusion’. Fourthly, the institution of social assistance is helpful for low-income households to manage their lives and social integration. However, it lacks measures to facilitate the low-income households escape from poverty, and thus easily causes re-exclusion. Finally, it is revealed that the state shows no intention in excluding the disadvantaged households; however, it still cannot transform the system due to the intention in maintaining the family function, in preventing welfare fraud, and in providing support services. Regarding the clients and the social workers, the former were more concerned about the stage when dis-attached from the welfare system, whilst the latter cared about the stage of entry. Based on having sensed their own rights, the clients adjusted themselves with external forces and started to fight for anti-exclusion after being excluded from the welfare system. Similarly, the social workers also value the idea of equality and social justice. However, they achieve this goal by exercising their discretion power when scrutinizing the applications, and moreover, collectively advocating for anti-exclusion of the low-income households. / All in all, the state institution, the social workers involved, and the welfare users are all subjects with their agency. They themselves play multi-roles to integrate, exclude and anti-exclude, and these roles are not isolated but interact with each other. This research, therefore, suggests utilizing generalist perspective to further examine the cross-level effects in order to understand this subject. In long term, the three levels have to be changed simultaneously in order to help the low-income households effectively get out of poverty. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / 杜慈容 = Can welfare leavers get out of poverty? : a Study of low-income households in Taipei / Dou Tsz Rung. / Thesis (Ph.D.) Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2014. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 448-481). / Abstracts also in English. / Du Cirong = Can welfare leavers get out of poverty? : a Study of low-income households in Taipei / Dou Tsz Rung.

From the 1990s, welfare state and civil society in Taiwan were confronted with challenges and opportunities brought by population ageing. The author chooses NPOs with "Active Ageing" programs for the elderly, a group thriving as a consequence of Taiwan's unique transitional democratization and privatization under Neoliberalism, as a case to systematically investigate the governance structure. Four core NPOs of various scales and capacities are sampled while their stakeholders are also interviewed. Findings reveal that after the pension reform made possible by social movement and electoral politics, these institutionalized social forces secure their position in the welfare delivery system. However, problems remain unresolved because of structural inertia while NPOs operate under the changing field frame and conflicting institutional logics between the welfare state and civil society. Though partially impeded, NPOs develop an East-Asian way of solution with various counterplots. Contrasting rationales of networking explain NPOs' diverse achievements while quasi-subordination and structural loop consolidate respective constituency. Four patterns of perceived relational social capital relate to NPOs' networking practices and institutional settings. The connection among institutions, networking configurations, and relations further crystalizes the tripartite governance structure composed of the institutional, technical, and social environment. Legitimation of means functions mainly within the institutional environment while legitimation of ends through technical and social environment also justifies NPOs' social appropriateness. Various types of legitimacy are conferred to NPOs at different development stages while both formal and informal norms guide NPOs' behavior in the two-dimensional governing kinetics. Through this case study, the author also demonstrates how a meso-level approach of organizational study, integrating Sociological Institutionalism and Organizational Social Capital Theory, possibly sheds lights on the different areas of Sociology, especially those of social movement, NPOs, and ageing society.