本文藉由隨意與不隨意的組織型態來探討排灣族社會組織過去一個世紀左右的變遷與發展，藉以瞭解排灣族部落組織在面對外來殖民政府後的社會組織與其組織影響力的變化狀況。排灣族傳統社會組織的形成大多是一種「不隨意」的組織型態，也就是依其血緣、地域關係而形成，其組織形成不僅涉及到個人，亦同時涉及到家庭與親屬，有其自主的行政及司法制度。在日據時代有明顯的改變，特別是在外來文化的強勢入侵並切割原住民族與土地的關係，並且在原本的聚落裏建立了新的組織（如教育組織、警察組織），亦將原本具有統治權／管理權的部落領導者／部落長耆矮化成日人所控制／支配的部落協調／溝通者，而原有的傳統組織功能亦在此改變下而逐漸消失（如部落會議、青年組織）。戰後則有愈來愈多所謂「隨意」（voluntary）型態的組織出現，而在工業化過程中部落青年學生與部落中壯人口不斷外移至都會區後，跨族群的原住民社會組織開始有較多的發展，而此時的社會組織較偏向經濟取向。自1987年解嚴後，開始有愈來愈多的人民團體組織成立，而原住民也在原住民社會運動的潮流與政府政策（特別是社區發展的相關政策）主導下有多元性的團體組織發展，包括地方性組織（如社區發展協會）、單一族群組織（例如同鄉會）、跨區域組織（如文教協會）、全國性跨族群組織（如學會、基金會）。有關組織變遷與發展的現象討論，在本文亦有廣泛的討論。

This article uses the voluntary/involuntary organization model to discuss and explore the changes and development in Paiwanese society over the past century and to discover the influences of colonial societies upon Paiwanese tribal organizations and authorities. In the past, most traditional Paiwanese organizations were involuntary, determined by their kinship, geographical relationships and the form of traditional authority. Significant changes occurred during the Japanese era, as they occupied and took aboriginal lands and destroyed the Paiwanese authority system. The Japanese Government also established some new forms of organization within the tribes, controlling education, the police and agriculture, and these gradually replaced the authority of the mazazangiljan (chief). At the same time, some Paiwanese traditional structures, such as the tribal council and youth organization, also gradually disappeared. After the Second World War, the KMT (Kuomintang) Government governed Taiwan, having retreated there from mainland China in 1949 after the civil war. Since then, more and more voluntary organizations have adopted a cross-ethnic and economic approach as tribal people have migrated to the cities for work. After the cessation of martial law in 1987, the number of voluntary people's organizations increased and, following the Government's policies with regard to community development, there has been a significant growth in the diversity of local structures. All of this is widely discussed in this paper.