Abstract
Through participant observation and in-depth interviews, research probe into the motherhood practices in Taromak tribe of Taitung and discover its collective caring network. Stores, churches and relative relationships share the burden of birth mother and therefore embody the collective childhood caring which is beyond family boundary. In addition, based on the ideal of “children of Taromak”, motherhood practices represent the responsibility and importance of cultural inheritance which is also beyond family boundary. Taromak women play the roles of child care and culture inherit. Motherhood practices of overloaded Taromak women reflect social status and anxieties of these underprivileged women and the complex social situation in the tribe. Such anxieties are caused from ideology of intensive mothering and complexity of caring network and therefore shape another kind of in-between and hybrid ideology of motherhood. Motherhood practices of Taromak women are shaped between modern society and the tribe. They are not only wishing their children obtain the necessary competitiveness in modern society but also wishing their children can be devoted to cultural affairs in the tribe. Therefore, Taromak women are exhaust to avoid downward mobility of their children by caring strategy that focus on endurance and independent in one hand. On the other hand, they devote their self to the cultural work and take the responsibility of uniting the tribe.