臺灣無數眾多的小型家庭企業，究竟彰顯出什麼樣的臺灣社會經濟發展意義﹖本 文嘗試從非正式部門理論的觀點來檢視臺灣小型家庭企業的作用。我們發現作為非正式部門 存在的眾多小型家庭企業，其所發揮的功能不同於第三世界國家的非法正式經濟活動經驗， 它不再僅是貧窮下的生存途徑或大規模失業下的唯一去處，臺灣小型家庭企業的存在，呈現 的是更豐富的社經意義：不景氣下的脫困出路、生涯發展的策略性嘗試、面對日益惡劣經營 環境之身分維繫途徑、補貼正式部門所得不足的困宭、兼顧性別角色又可獲取經濟自主的調 適。另外，小型家庭企業一方面延續並鞏固傳統性別角色分工模式，這對女性頭家的創業及 擴大經營造成極大的限制，但另一方面，家庭企業的經營卻不可否認對女性的地位發揮了促 進作用，對傳統角色及婚姻中的權力關係產生衝擊。

　　　　　What socio-economic implications Taiwan's small enterprises have in a period of great societal change ﹖ This thesis attempts to examine the function and implications of small family businesses from the angle of informal sector's theory. The finding from seven cases reveals that different from the informal secor of other developing countries, Taiwan's small family enterprises signify a much more profound and richer socioeconomic meanings, namely a way out against a worsening economic recess, a viably strategic positioning in job market, maintenance of priviliged male status while adapting to the seclining industry, supplementing income insufficiency of the formal employment, and balancing work and family while striving for economic independence. In addition, from gender's perspective, tradtitional sexual division of labor seems, on the one hand, to be reproduced and further strengthened in small family businesses, posing as a great obstacle to women who want to start up own business and seek to broaden its scale. On the other hand, small businesses, being easy entry and exit, open a route to women to challenge patriarchal institution by earning their way up to independence.