本研究嘗試探究客家族群裡頭不具有書寫權力的平凡大眾的歷史意識。肯定客家常民作為主要的歷史行動者，觀察人們如何在日常生活的實作（practice）中，透過每天的閑聊（gossip）互動，分享、交流彼此之間的情感與記憶，進而凝聚共同體的想像，建構自己的歷史意識。並勾勒客家常民在生活中所經驗、認同的客家生活的樣貌。 研究發現所謂常民的歷史意識並沒有一個具體的相貌，歷史意識作為流動、變遷的意識，本來就沒有本質性的存在，同樣的，客家族群文化亦不是一種本質性的概念。每個行動者在時代的脈絡裡，有他的思考與顧慮，也有他的期待，在生活裡會因應社會的變遷、現實需求，隨之調整自己的思考模式與脈絡，展現在族群邊界的改變、或甚至是族群記憶的變遷。客家常民其實是在每天生活實踐中的瑣碎與平凡裡經驗著客家，建構生活世界的過程裡，同時建構著既融和也創新的客家歷史意識 The thesis recognizes Hakka common people as a major historical agent, and examines the historical consciousness of Hakka common people who do not have the power of writing. It observes the daily communications between people and how they through gossip further construct their own historical consciousness and the imagination of community from the practice of everyday life. Also, it portrays the Hakka lifestyle from what Hakka common people experience and identify as part of their own everyday life. The result of this research shows that there is no fixed, specific image of the so-called historical consciousness of common people. Historical consciousness, as a fluid and shifting concept, is not an intrinsic existence, and so does Hakka Culture. As a historical agent, each one has his own thought and expectation, follows the social change and therefore adjusts his pattern of thought which collectively has been reflected in the change of ethnic boundary or, even more, ethnic memory. The thesis has reached the conclusion that it is in the ordinary course of daily living when Hakka common people experience their culture and live with it, meanwhile, during the process of constructing their lifeworld, keep building up the more inclusive, innovative Hakka historical consciousness.
