本文以性別、國族與國族主義之交織關係作為理論架構，梳理德國
少數族群索勃人民族計畫中所涉及的性別面向。從索勃菁英所創造出
「索勃母親」概念並賦予女性護衛與傳遞語言與傳統的責任，可以看到
索勃女性被放置與涉入該計畫的過程。索勃女性在索勃論述中被型塑為
索勃文化、語言、傳統與族群性的承載者，藉由傳承索勃語言與傳統，
以及穿著傳統服裝以抵禦德意志化的壓力，鮮明地標示出「索勃性」
（Sorbian-ness），以此突顯與德意志民族之間的界線並維護索勃民族存
續與認同。
然而，從以索勃女性生活經驗為基礎的實證資料發現，原被視為文
化的「自然存在」內容的傳統，已不再理所當然地被視為過去的延續，
而是社會實踐的展現。傳統因此不再是靜止不動的族群文化屬性與本
質，而是在重新創造與重新詮釋的過程之中被建構而生，並為動態的且
持續變化的。身為索勃傳統服裝穿著者的女性也因而不再全然是索勃文
化的代表，而是具有能動性的行為主體，她們的衣著實踐可說是社會互
動與生活經驗交織的呈現。因此索勃傳統服裝的意義，從原為僅僅蘊含
單一的族群認同層面的象徵，擴及至可能包含性別、族群、文化、社會
等多重認同。

Drawing on the intersections of gender, nation and nationalism, this
study aims to disclose the gendered aspect involved in the Sorbian national
project in Germany. The process in which Sorbian women are integrated and
get involved in national project is rendered visible in the concept of “serbska
mać” (the Sorbian Mother) who are made the bearers of the Sorbian culture,
language, tradition and ethnicity in the Sorbian discourse.
However, as the empirical data based on women’s life experiences
shows, the concept of tradition usually deemed as “the given” content of
culture is transformed from the continuity of the past to social practice.
Tradition is no longer a static ethnic and cultural essence and attribute, but
rather engendered in the process of reinvention and re-interpretation, and
it is dynamic and changing. Sorbian women dressed in traditional Sorbian
costumes are not seen as the representatives of Sorbian culture any more,
rather the acting agents whose dress practices illustrate the intertwining
of social practices and life experiences. The connotation of the traditional
Sorbian costumes thus extends from the single dimension of ethnic symbol
to multiple identities constructed by the intersections of gender, ethnicity,
culture and society.