1920年以後，台灣的死亡率開始長期大幅度的下降。早期以嬰幼兒死亡率的下降較明顯，晚近嬰幼兒死亡率已降至很低的水準，主要的死亡年齡以老年為主。上述變遷趨勢使得台灣的存活曲線，在年輕的部分由快速下降轉為接近水平；而在老年的部分則由較為平緩的下降，轉為較快速的下降，呈現出存活曲線矩型化的趨勢。存活曲線矩型化隱含存在壽命極限的概念，然是否存在壽命極限仍有爭議，部分學者轉從死亡年齡的集中化（死亡壓縮）的角度來理解矩型化現象，並延伸討論有關壽命延長的現象。
本文以生命表中的存活函數(l(下標 x))與死亡函數(d(下標 x))為分析的基礎，探討1955-2005年間台灣的死亡壓縮以及存活曲線的水平化、垂直化及其蘊含之壽命延長等現象。我們以SD(M+)、C50以及死亡年齡的四分位差(IQR)等指標測量死亡壓縮程度，並分解出各年齡組死亡率變化對死亡壓縮的影響。其次以固定矩型、移動矩型以及Cheunget al.(2005)建議的β、θ、θ(上標 *)、M+4SD(M+)等指標來衡量水平化、垂直化與壽命延長程度。結果顯示：存活曲線矩型化的程度（包括水平化與垂直化）於1955-2005年間持續上升。死亡壓縮的現象自1970年起趨於平緩，而造成死亡壓縮的主要力量從嬰幼兒死亡率下降轉向中、高年死亡率下降。M+4SD(M+)以及M+kSD(M+)兩個指標顯示兩性近五十年來的壽命延長仍呈現緩升趨勢，然本文之研究結果仍不足以確定壽命延長是否有極限。

The overall mortality rate in Taiwan has experienced a lengthy and drastic decline since 1920. The decline was first triggered by a phenomenal decrease in the infant mortality rate and, when this rate began to rest at its current low level, the elderly mortality rate took its turn to fall. As a result of the sharp drop then leveling off in the youth sector and the mild decrease then plunge in the elderly sector, rectangularization of the survival curve ensued. Although rectangularization of the survival curve implies the concept of a longevity limit, the existence of such a limit is still under debate. To avoid controversy, some scholars turn to interpret the rectangularization from the angle of mortality compression at age of death and extend their discussion to the phenomenon of longevity extension.
This paper, based on the analysis of life table survivors (l(subscript x)) and life table deaths (d(subscript x)), discusses several phenomena that appeared in Taiwan between 1955 and 2005. These phenomena include mortality compression, the horizontalization and verticalization of the survival curve, and the implied longevity extension. We use indexes, such as SD(M+) (standard deviation of age at death above M), C50 (the shortest age interval concentrating 50 percent of the life duration), and the interquartile range (IQR) of age at death, to measure the degree of mortality compression, and to decompose the influence of changing mortality rate on mortality compression by age group. Next, we apply fixed rectangle, moving rectangle and other indexes recommended by Cheung et al. (2005), such as β, θ, θ(superscript *) and M+4SD(M+), to measure the horizontalization of the survival curve, the verticalization of the survival curve and the degree of longevity extension. Our results show that (1) rectangularization of the survival curve (including both horizontalization and verticalization of the survival curve) steadily increased during 1955 to 2005; (2) the degree of mortality compression had lessened since 1970, and the underlying force behind the mortality compression had shifted from the decrease in the infant mortality rate to the decrease in the adult and elderly mortality rate; (3) the two indexes M+4SD(M+) and M+kSD(M+) indicate that the longevity limit for both genders is still expanding upward gradually.

Using a national representative sample of Taiwanese women age 18 to 64 (n=896) from the Taiwan Social Change Survey conducted in 2002, this study investigates the health effects of multiple roles on health for young and middle-aged women. In light of the Role Substitution Hypothesis, the Role Complementation Hypothesis, and the Role Combination Strain Hypothesis, certain interacting effects between marriage, employment, motherhood, and filial role are examined. Statistical analyses are performed separately for young and middle-aged women to examine the association between social roles occupied and health outcomes as well as interactions between age and the nature of work and family roles on health. Results show that certain social roles are more relevant to health status for women at specific stages of the life course. When marriage and filial role are associated with better perceived health for young women, motherhood is more beneficial in perceived health for middle-aged women. These findings imply that intergenerational relationships are strongly associated with Taiwanese women's perceived health status. In addition, complementary health effects between employment and motherhood are found among middle-aged women. Analyses of this study suggest that the impacts of multiple roles on health are subjected to change according to women's age, the nature of family roles, and the type of employment. Considering the overall results, we emphasize that in order to delineate the complicated relationships between social roles and women's health, more specific characteristics of roles occupied by women need to be taken into account.

本文以2002年的台灣社會變遷基本調查中年齡為18至64歲的896位女性受訪者為分析樣本，探討多重角色與台灣青年和中年女性健康狀況之間的關聯。根據角色替代假設(the Role Substitution Hypothesis)、角色互補假設(the Role Complementation Hypothesis)、以及角色組合緊張假設(the Role Combination Strain Hypothesis)所揭示的理論觀點，我們檢視了婚姻、就業、育有子女、與長輩同住這四個變項的特定組合對女性健康所產生的交互作用。同時，為了檢測婦女在不同生命階段的社會角色和健康之間的關聯，以及年齡和其家庭與工作角色內涵的相互作用對健康的影響，我們分別對青年和中年婦女的受訪資料做統計分析。結果顯示，特定社會角色會對身處特定生命階段女性的健康狀況有較為顯著的影響。對青年婦女而言，已婚或與長輩同住與其自評健康呈正相關；而對中年婦女而言，育有子女與其自評健康有正向關聯。這兩項發現顯示代間關係對台灣婦女健康的可能重要影響。分析也指出，就業和母職這兩個角色之間對健康的互補作用，在中年婦女身上較為顯著。整體而言，多重角色對台灣婦女自評健康的影響，會隨其年齡、家庭角色內涵、以及就業型態不同而有差異。因此本文強調，若要釐清社會角色與婦女健康之間的複雜關係，必須審慎檢視女性所擔負的角色內容特質。

1990年代起，有越來越多的台灣農村男性開始前往中國大陸、越南、印尼、菲律賓等地，尋求人生的另一半，而此可能正反映著臺灣發展過程下的城鄉不平等，所導致的當地適婚男女比例與婚配對象失衡現象。因此，本研究從空間分析的角度，探討地方脈絡結構性因素對台灣男性娶外籍配偶的影響。本文研究目的有三：(1)瞭解台灣外籍新娘的空間分佈型態，(2)分析台灣外籍配偶的空間分佈，是否受當地婚姻市場條件和地區社會經濟環境，如當地可婚配對象性別比、男性平均教育程度、人均所得等之影響，(3)探討台灣外籍新娘的空間分佈是否具有鄰近效應，且瞭解此鄰近效應是否會因外籍新娘國籍與該鄉鎮市人口密度而有所差異。本研究使用內政部2003年外籍與大陸配偶生活狀況調查的資料及內政部婚姻登記匯總資料，採用探索式空間資料分析與空間計量經濟方法進行分析。研究分析發現台灣外籍新娘的空間分佈有聚集現象，且集中於平地農村地區。當地婚姻市場可婚配性別比（男／女）越高，則娶中國大陸籍與東南亞籍新娘的比例越高；且新郎居住地鄉鎮市區之婚姻市場的社經條件越不利，如男性平均教育程度愈低或人均所得愈低，則娶中國大陸籍與東南亞籍新娘的比例也愈高。另外，娶中國大陸籍與東南亞籍新娘有正向的空間鄰近效應，娶其他國籍新娘則無空間鄰近效應。當同時考量異國籍與同國籍的空間鄰近效應時，對東南亞籍新娘而言，僅有同國籍的具有正向空間鄰近效應，異國籍則無此作用；對中國大陸籍新娘而言，同國籍具有正向的空間鄰近效應，而異國籍的卻具有負向的空間鄰近效應。最後，不同區域的外籍新娘之空間鄰近效果亦有差異，人口愈密集的地方，外籍新娘的空間鄰近效應愈強，其中，都會區空間鄰近效應最強，平地鄉鎮次之，山地鄉則無顯著的空間鄰近效應。

This study investigates the spatial pattern of foreign brides in Taiwan, examines how the local marriage market and socioeconomic conditions shape it, and explores the extent to which neighborhood effects exist in the spatial pattern of foreign brides. Using data from the 2003 Survey of Foreign and Mainland Spouses' Life Status, we employ exploratory spatial data analysis and spatial econometrics to reveal the spatial pattern and test six hypotheses. The results indicate that foreign brides cluster around the rural townships of plain areas. Also, local social-economic conditions and marriage market availability contribute to spatial variation in foreign bride rates in each spatially local area. Further, neighborhood effects domatter for the formation of spatial clusters of the Mainland Chinese brides and Southeast Asian brides in Taiwan. For Southeast Asian brides, only the brides with the same origin show a significantly positive spatial-temporal lag effect. On the contrary, while Mainland Chinese brides show a significantly positive spatial-temporal lag effect in the spatial pattern of marriage in Taiwan, Southeast Asian brides show a significantly negative spatial-temporal lag effect, indicating that proximity to townships that had higher proportions of Southeast Asian brides decreases the likelihood of marrying Mainland Chinese brides. Finally, the strength of neighborhood effects of foreign brides significantly varies by regions. The neighborhood effects are strongest for townships located in metropolitan areas. However, there is no evidence to support neighborhood effects for those in mountain areas.

本文探討1990年至2000年間美國的人口普查中，為何有越來越高比率移居美國的台灣出生移民認為自己是台灣人而不是華裔(ethnic Chinese)。此一趨勢似乎不符合同化理論(assimilation theory)，其主張當族裔群體在美國的時間越長，會使其更加脫離原本的族群政治和身份認同。本研究所採用的雙世代法(double cohort method)使我們能夠將時代效應(period effect)從期間效應(duration effect)中分開出來討論，而時代效應在分析變化上較具有鑑別性。本研究結果發現其中有很明顯的時間差異和地區變異。臺灣出生移民之中，老一輩的、初到美國的、以及住在洛杉磯地區的移民，較傾向於認為自己是台灣人而非華裔。相反地，台灣出生移民之中，具有較佳之英語能力、較低教育程度，以及與來自中國大陸的華裔人士比鄰而居者，則較不傾向於此身份認同。
此外，移入時的年紀是身份認同之形塑與轉變的重要關鍵，在年輕時就移入美國的移民，認同自我身份為台灣人的傾向最低。隨著時間的推移，台灣出生移民的涵化程度確實加深了。在1970年代以前抵達美國的年輕移民，最不可能在1990年至2000年間普查填表時從華裔轉換成台灣人。然而，涵化作用並不會阻止移民在填寫的普查表格上展現其對台灣身份的認同。對於這些台灣出生的移民來說，在普查表格上表示其台灣認同，似乎是一種「反叛」或「覺醒」的行動，象徵著自己對台灣同胞的支持，而此種行動深受台灣人意識抬頭的影響。全球化可能會使移民和其原居地保持前所未有的密切連繫，特別是在危機時期。

This study examines why a growing percentage of Taiwan-born immigrants in the U.S. have identified themselves as Taiwanese rather than ethnic Chinese in the U.S. decennial censuses between 1990 and 2000. The trend appears inconsistent with the assimilation theory, which postulates that ethnic groups will become more detached from ethnic politics and identity the longer they stay in the United States. The application of a double cohort method enables us to separate the period effect from the duration effect, which is critical to analyzing the changes. Results show sharp temporal differentiation and large geographical variation. The older generation of Taiwanese immigrants and recent arrivals to the United States, as well as those who live in Los Angeles, are the most likely to regard themselves as Taiwanese rather than ethnic Chinese. In contrast, Taiwanborn immigrants who have greater English proficiency, who have less education, and who have [mainland] Chinese as their neighbors are less likely to do so.
Moreover, age-at-arrival is a key determinant in identity formation and change. Those who came to the U.S. when they were young are least likely to regard themselves as Taiwanese. Over time, Taiwan-born immigrants have indeed become more acculturated. Young Taiwan-born immigrants who came to the U.S. before the 1970s are least likely to make a switch to Taiwanese during the period. However, acculturation alone does not prevent one from claiming Taiwanese identity on the census form. For Taiwan-born immigrants, writing in Taiwanese on the census form appears to be a ”rebellious” or ”awakening” act and a symbolic expression of solidarity with their compatriots in Taiwan, empowered by a growing sense of Taiwanese consciousness. Globalizationmay now have allowed immigrants to maintain a closer tie with their country of origin than before, especially in times of crisis.