Eating in the tradition lives on the birth and death of a community in Thailand hawser Nakhon Nayok

Abstract

This thesis entitled "Being Phuan in Contemporary Thai Society" emphasized the aspeets of self-defining of the Phuan minority in Central Thailand, an ethnic group migrating from Northern Laos two centuries ago, perceived through the recognition and invention of "Phuanness", which has varied thoroughly up on different social contexts during the past several decades. It considered the existence of "Phuanness" in the contexts of the establishment and activities of the Phuan Association (Chomrom Thai-Phuan), the Phuan's cultural revivals, and the access of employing "Phuanness" to promote tourism business. There were many complicated aspects involved in the identification of Phuan people in Thailand during globalization period, so the following questions were raised for a systematic analysis: (1) How could we understand the historical background and roots of the Phuan, and their impacts on Phuan people's self-identification today? (2) How were the Phuan people's expression of their recognition and recall through cultural group formation characterized? (3) Under the tourism promotion and local cultural conservation phenomena that counted everything under the "Contemporary Thainess" umbrella and as a result transformed diversifying cultures into national commodities, what were the identities of the Phuan and what were their positions in those phenomena? The analysis was based on both anthropological field data and library documents. The study of Phuan's history showed that Phuan people's self-identification existed in several forms, which leaded to a difference in self-perception and self-connection of the Phuan based on sources of information. Nevertheless, Phuan's historical identities were linked to history of the state. Their historical backgrounds were occasionally selected for repeat to deepen the common understandings of the ethnic Phuan's roots. But the Phuan in each area would choose the best set of history that fit them. The gatherings of Phuan people gave them an opportunity to express their common recognition and recall by organizing cultural events. Through these activities, the Phuan could define their identities and choose to conserve and support what they have seen importance to them. The Phuan at present perceived their cultural root through the oral history and historiography complied under the Thai nation-state ideology. The variation ofPhuan's culture, history, and cultural invention found among the Phuan groups in different parts ofThailand was explicable in the lights oflocal social contexts, as well as ofthe ideal cultural and ethnic variation acceptable under the state's political ideology. More recently, the "Phuanness" expression has been sculptured and employed in the manner to promote Thai tourism.