ABSTRACT

Textiles have a long history in Homei. Since the end of the Japanese colonization, Homei has been known for weaving production. While most of Taiwan was suffering from severe shortages of daily goods due to the destruction of World War II, many Homei people enjoyed lucrative earnings from weaving and the sale of scarce and highly valuable cloth. Family members working together under the supervision of a patriarch is not a novel arrangement in Chinese culture. However, the introduction of industrial production provides new ways to accumulate wealth, thereby giving family cooperation new forms and new meanings. The importance of family labor was further augmented by the unequal relationships between Taiwanese manufacturers and buyers from advanced capitalist countries. Textile wages have rapidly risen as a result of this labor shortage.