臺灣對於家庭結構的研究業已累積豐碩成果，惟過往研究較少由家庭動態發展的角度來瞭解家庭如何隨著時間進展進行自我結構之分裂與重組。本文以「經濟發展與婦女家庭地位：台灣的家庭結構、婦女就業型態，與家庭權力結構之關聯」研究計畫為分析素材，以回溯性資料替代貫時性資料，由924位已婚婦女在各生命階段居住經驗之轉變過程，勾勒台灣家庭內部結構分合的發展軌跡。 研究發現，在各種家庭結構中，核心家庭是最具韌性、最不易改變的結構型態，但隨著子代進入適婚年齡，核心家庭便開始因為已婚兒、媳加入而擴張為折衷家庭，換句話說，臺灣折衷家庭的增加主要是因為子代婚姻關係改變所致；相對的，上代折衷與擴大家庭則明顯隨時間不斷分化為核心家庭。在婦女出生至結婚前這段時間內，一直住在核心家庭(3l.5%)、一直住在折衷家庭(11.3%)、從上代折衷變核心家庭(12.9%)、從核心家庭變成中輩折衷家庭(8.8%)是婦女最常見的四種居住經驗。 婦女嫁人夫家至最小至女上學前這段時間內，家庭結構變遷模式與婦女婚前經驗相符合，核心家庭依然強勢維持舊貌，夫家折衷與擴大家庭則隨時間不斷分化為核心家庭。婚後一直住在核心家庭(36.4%)、一直與公婆同住(24.3%)、從折衷家庭分化為核心家庭(1l.9%)、一直住在擴大家庭，(9.4 % )、從擴大家庭分化成為核心家庭(5.3%)是婦女婚後典型居住經驗。然而，若參考有完整家庭階段經驗之婦女，則可發現核心家庭隨子代結婚再度聚合為折衷、擴大等複式家腔的趨勢亦十分明顯。 質化分析則指出，家庭內部結構改變會影響家人互動及權力結構重組，因此，未來需繼續加強家庭結構分、合的研究，方能動態掌握台灣家庭內部發展歷程。

Changes in the family structure have been a focal interest among social scientists in Taiwan. However, most studies rarely pay attention to the dynamic process of structural fission as well as expansion within the family system itself. This paper examines 924 married Taiwanese women’s living arrangement experiences in several consecutive life stages and intends to delincate the internal split and reuniting processes within the family structure. Findings show that as expected, the nuclear family is the most dominant and tenacious family structure, but the transition from nuclear to stem family often results from the inclusion of married son(s) and daughter(s)-in-law In other words, the emergence of the stem family in a family’s development is a product of the expansion of the second generation from single to married status, and is thus labeled the horizontal stem family. An opposite trend simultaneously occurring is the stem and extended families of the first generation that continue to divide into various nuclear families. During the stages from a female's birth to right before marriage, the most common living arrangement experiences are: always nuclear family (31.5%), always stem family (11.3%), divided from the first generation stem family to the nuclear ,family (12.9%), and expanded from the nuclear family to the horizontal stem family (8.8%). After a female becomes married and through up until the youngest child enters elementary school, the nuclear family remains as the strongest family structure while the paternal stem and extended families gradually split into other types. Specifically, the typical living arrangement includes: always nuclear family (36.4%), always paternal stem family (24.3%), always paternal extended family (9.4%), divided from stem to nuclear family (11.9%), and divided from extended to nuclear family (5.3%). Family fission appears to be the salient feature accompanied by a female’s changing marital status However, with reference to those females with completed family life stages, it becomes clear that family expansion namely from nuclear to stem or extended families with the second generation’s marriage, is a noticeable trend. The qualitative analysis illustrated in the last section points out the importance of the developmental change of the internal family structure which affects family interaction as well as a family’s power structure. The paper concludes that the dynamic process of family fission and family expansion requires further examination in order to specify how structural changes in the family system may shape and influence familial attitudes and values.