From Subjectivity to Desubjectivation: A review of women subjects in Anthropological studies of Buddhism in Thailand
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Abstract
Buddhism is an important social arena to investigate gender relations in Thai society, especially, the issues of women's rights and gender inequality. In recent decades, Buddhist related beliefs and practices have diversified and proliferated under the rapidly changing socio-economic and political context. This paper aims to review Buddhist women subjects understood and represented in anthropological studies on Thai Buddhism to unpack the epistemology of subjectivity behind these academic narratives. This paper argues that, influenced by and resonated with feminist movement in Thailand, Thai Buddhist women subjectivities are framed by three dichotomies, namely, male/female, secular/religious, and worldly/salvation. They were also portrayed as modern subjects within the framework of subjectivity that prioritizes agency and autonomy of subjects in negotiating the dominating religious structure. Nonetheless, the epistemology of subjectivity has marginalized the non-normative Buddhist women subjects. Hence, the paper also argues for the attention to desubjectivation in the studies of women and Buddhism to allow the investigation to be more inclusive and reflecting the diverse experiences of women in religion.
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