REPRESENTATION OF RURAL PEOPLE’S RESPONSES TO DISCOURSE OF EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT FOR MODERNIZATION THROUGH THAI COUNTRY SONGS

Abstract

               The objective of this research paper was to study the representation of rural people's responses to discourse of education development for modernization through Thai country songs. The 156 country songs from 1964 to 2019 were selected by purposive sampling, specifically of which the lyrics convey the idea of education in Thai society. The samples were collected from various popular entertainment websites and documents about country music. The conceptual framework of this research was based on the semiotic representation of Fairclough which considered discourses as the reason for choosing to use language structure and language organization form based on attitudes, values, ideologies and emotions of a person interacting with the world.
               The results of the research showed that most representations of rural people's responses inform the domination of education development discourse for modernization in rural society. The dominant discourse legitimated by representations in Thai country songs consist of 7 conceptions, in descending order, namely 1) education level is a criterion for social classification, 2) school attendance paves the way to happiness from finding love, 3) higher education is a guarantee of a better future, 4) the conceptual metaphors in formal education are used to be compared to learning through life experiences, 5) studying in the capital or urban areas is an investment that is not wasted, 6) Ramkhamhaeng University is an ideal target for rural people, and 7) education makes lifestyle changes and opportunities available in modern capital cities. At the same time, anti-discourse representations reveal 7 conceptions, in order from highest to lowest, namely 1) going to school is the cause of degenerate behaviors or incapability, 2) the status of teachers in rural society is inappropriate, 3) quality of education in the rural area is not yet standardized and lack of efficiency, 4) possessing bachelor’s degree or being pundit is considered unworthy or incompetent comparing with learning from real life experience, 5) attending education has to be exchanged with the difficulties of the family, 6) the education level criteria make problems for rural people in finding work and lacking opportunities to progress in the field of work, and 7) some graduate does not achieve moral standard.