Floating And Shaking In The Wind And Rain

Aiming at examining peoples'various lives and desires and understanding the whole society, this essay studies the unique personality of boat people by showing their bottom, concrete and other social daily images. The historical and cultural heritage of boat people is a mirror of social change. During the history from the subsistence ethic in pre-liberation time to their living condition in the system of unit after liberation, and from the springing up of free shipping to the demise of propelled-ship which caused a large number of boat people go ashore in 2004, the structural and cultural changes has already been carved in the life of boat people.The author's doubt and question is: whether the boat people have their own'subsistence ethic'like what Scott had noted; whether the'subsistence ethic'as a life driving mechanism could explain the whole picture of boat people's present life; faced with social transformation, was there any possibility that boat people would transit a'subsistence ethic'to a'professional ethic'; and finally, with the mixture of state power, labor division and self subsistence, where are the boat people heading?According to Scott,'subsistence ethic'has three principles: 1. the reciprocity between the protector and the protected; 2. ethical requirement of the subsistence of the weakest; 3. safety first and joint adventure. It means sharing with each other, caring and helping each other. The tolerance and understanding either horizontally or vertically can provide the poor with the hope of living, thus avoiding the emergence of defensive behavior, and this is the origin of the mechanism of social mobilization. However, Durkheim regarded'professional ethic'as an inevitable trend under the social context of clear labor division. The more developed professional ethics is, the more advanced it works, and the more stable and reasonable the organization of professional groups is. This can be use for reference in the study of boat people's'subsistence ethic'and'professional ethic'.I believe that holistic anthropology as a practice of ethnographic text writing can convergence the two analyzing dimensions of political economy and cultural explain. On the sense of ontology of the study object, it can integrate the various areas of so-called politics, economy, ethics, law and culture (including religion) as a whole. The concept of'subsistence ethic'and its'wisdom'can be found in all areas of social life. Ethical rules and moral experience are the intrinsic aspects embodied in political power, economic exchange and religious belief. The study of boat people can't do without the integrity of'subsistence ethic'and living'wisdom'. Life, economy, politics, religion, legal disputes are flesh and blood of a living organism. The purpose of the boat people is to'live'which request'subsistence'first, and only when people have learned to 'subsistence'can they lead to'development', and the emphasis of'subsistence'will germinate the spark of'wisdom'.Through their own voice and expression, the fresh face of the four generations of boat people will be shown in front of us. I want to express the memory and feeling of the history and life of boat people with their own voice, and show their own interpretation of the political, cultural and economic phenomena and experience, which of course will help us open up a new perspective and understanding toward this relatively unfamiliar group of people. It is by understanding others that we understand ourselves. With the aid of field working, ethnography writing and anthropology observation together, I will give the readers a new acquaintance of boat people who can be the'others'for us to understand ourselves.The first generation of boat people, by shaking paddles and setting sails, they never hesitated to run the risk in order to make a living. The second generation, who inherited their predecessors'career, went through the Liberation War and gained a new life in the system of units. When the third generation saw the shortcomings within this system, they decided to practice their own way. The fourth generation, being aware of the coming reform, constantly updated their shipping ability in order to adapt to the new living environment. Facing the change of ship standard, unified technology, modern communications and scientific navigation, they did what they could and made tough choices. When individual boat people gradually faded out of the shipping market, the image of scattered groups of boat people no longer existed, instead organic professional work groups appeared, and'professional ethic'firmly bounded the boat people together again. The era of free access to water transport ended, and a strict system is maturing.The buckle between the subsistence of boat people and state system, their communication network under the national governance and market system, and their action logic in response to economic challenges, all these above require a multi-faced, multi-pointed and multi-expressed way of writing. Subsistence ethic and professional ethic outline the change and uncertainty of past and future of boat people. The perceiving of this group of people's real and complex life can deepen our understanding of them, and it helps to find the real them, restore their nature, and share their stories.