Journal of Social Sciences Naresuan University

Education in Emergencies: Concept and Applications

2025-06-23T10:00:41+07:00

This article explores the concept and application of Education in Emergencies (EiE), by adopting principles of EiE and the Inter-agency Network for Education in Emergencies Minimum Standards (INEE MS) as the analytical framework. The study highlights three domains, namely preparedness, response, and recovery, to examine mechanisms that safeguard the right to education, protect children, and provide psychosocial support during crises. A comparative review of case studies in Nepal, Pakistan, and Lebanon demonstrates that effective EiE requires strong collaboration at multiple levels and curricula adapted to post-crisis contexts to ensure safe and continuous learning. In Thailand, education policies do not explicitly adopt EiE but show partial alignment with INEE MS, particularly in child’s rights to education access and child protection. Nonetheless, key challenges remain. Legal restrictions, including the Immigration Act and national security regulations, restrict the mobility of displaced and stateless children, which affect their rights to education. Centralized governance, limited coordination mechanisms, inadequate teacher preparation, and the absence of systematic psychosocial support further constrain effective implementation. The analysis concludes that Thailand must strengthen its approach by embedding EiE principles more comprehensively. Incorporating INEE MS into education plans, reforming restrictive laws, enhancing teacher training, and integrating psychosocial dimensions are critical to building resilience and ensuring that no child is excluded from education in times of crisis.

Boujee Lifestyle: Irresistible Extravagance and Learning to Overcome Shopping Addiction, from an Interdisciplinary Perspective of Social Sciences and Neuroscience

2026-01-28T10:05:44+07:00

This article aims to explore the phenomenon of “Boujee”, characterized by uncontrollable extravagant spending, along with consumption and shopping addiction through an interdisciplinary perspective. The objective is to comprehensively understand this phenomenon by integrating knowledge from social sciences and neuroscience, and to highlight a blended management approach within the framework of social neuroscience. Theoretical studies and literature reviews indicate that extravagant spending is rooted in social comparison, exacerbated by social stratification and inequality. Social comparison drives decision-making processes that rely on the interplay of various brain regions. However, individuals may make different decisions depending on emotional pressure, the valuation of self-image, and the internal capacity for rational judgment, in which executive functions play a crucial controlling role. Furthermore, an interdisciplinary management approach, implemented at the policy level to reduce social inequality through critical education and learning, alongside individual-level management through the cultivation of gratitude, delaying gratification, and mindfulness, may help society overcome consumption addiction in the long term, while simultaneously providing care and support for individuals in the short term.

Editorial Note

2026-06-22T10:52:20+07:00

None

Following Nithi’s Thought: Zomia, Tai People, and a New Version of History

2026-06-22T11:10:24+07:00

This article presents the core arguments based on Nidhi Eoseewong’s ideas on Thai and Lanna histories, motivations of Nidhi’s interests in exploring the concept of Zomia, his conceptual proposals of the Zomia introduced by James C. Scott and other scholars, including related data and academic works, with the aim of featuring the Zomia, people, and the historical development that has occurred in this particular region. According to the survey, several studies on Zomia, including Nidhi’s works, indicate that Zomia, a vast area that includes Thailand, is rich in various natural resources, diverse inhabitants, and their socio-cultural patterns. This condition resulted in the dynamics of political and economic structures and multilayered trading. Thus, with the objective of writing a new version or “unconventional” Thai history that follows Nidhi’s ideas, this article’s author sees the necessity of making sense of the complex Zomia, which impacted the people living in this area.

The Unfolding of Intergenerational Political Conflict: Post-2020-2021 Youth Protests in Thailand

2026-01-07T09:41:28+07:00

A significant phenomenon during Thailand’s youth-led political protests in 2020-2021 was the emergence of intergenerational political conflict at a family level. This article examines the trajectory of this phenomenon, specifically assessing whether intergenerational tensions that arose during the demonstrations persisted after the protests ended, dissipated entirely, or underwent substantive transformation. To address these questions, the study employs a mixed-methods research design that integrates quantitative and qualitative approaches, incorporating survey questionnaires, in-depth interviews, and participatory workshop activities based on the framework of “civic imagination.” Drawing on empirical findings, this research demonstrates that following the conclusion of youth-led political protests in late 2021, intergenerational political conflict, particularly at the household level, gradually subsided while intergenerational political cooperation began to expand. To analyze the causes and origins of this phenomenon, this study employs four analytical frameworks explaining the determinants of intergenerational conflict: first, the personalization of multi-dimensional exclusions; second, problem issues of the future—such as environmental and educational concerns—that adults overlook; third, the formation of youth political institutions; and fourth, autocratic gerontocratic regimes. The analysis identifies three critical conditions that facilitated the resolution of intergenerational political conflict. First, a transformation among older adults from exclusionary attitudes toward embracing youth concerns and accepting the political role of liberal youth. Second, the adaptation of political institutions and movements of liberal youth—shifting from an exclusive focus on “liberal youth” solidarity to “liberal politics across generations” and from “confrontational protest” to “multi-dimensional political participation.” Third, the failure and diminished role of the conservative elderly-led government, leaving older conservatives with no alternative but to align with younger generations and political parties representing youth interests as political allies against opposing political forces.

From Commercial Space to the Space of Thought: The Practices of Independent Bookstores in Thai Society

2026-02-20T14:50:53+07:00

This article examines the roles and survival strategies of independent bookstores in Thai society amid a dramatic decline in physical bookstores—from 2,483 to approximately 800 over the past decade (c. 2014–2022)—despite increasing reading rates among Thai people and a book market valued at over 20 billion baht in 2025. The study employs four conceptual frameworks: bookstores as spaces for ideological negotiation, as social and cultural spaces, as socially connective retail, and survival strategies in local contexts. These frameworks were applied through case studies of four independent bookstores: Ran Lao Bookshop (Chiang Mai), House of Commons (Bangkok), Raan Nang Seu Lek Lek (Chiang Mai), and Philadelphia Bookstore (Ubon Ratchathani). The findings reveal that independent bookstores function as more than mere commercial establishments, serving as vital learning spaces that provide safe environments for developing critical consciousness, as counterspaces that challenge capitalist logic, and as informal schools that cultivate analytical and socially engaged citizens. However, these bookstores face significant challenges originating from inequitable industry structures, supply chain monopolization, and inadequate government support. The article proposes partnership-based policy recommendations, including implementing cultural vouchers, structural reforms to ensure fair competition in the industry, direct support for independent bookstores, and establishing a national book institute. These measures aim to preserve independent bookstores as cultural assets that Thai society cannot afford to lose.

Health, Power, and Multiple Subjectivities: The Governance of Maternal and Child Body under the Medicalizing State

2025-08-15T11:31:42+07:00

This study examined the operation of a medicalized state through the project “Miracle First 1,000 Days of Life” in Borkaew Subdistrict, Samoeng District, Chiang Mai Province. It aims to investigate the practices of technologies of power in regulating and managing the body, as well as how parents participating in the program navigate and respond to these regulations. A qualitative research approach was employed, with data collected through document analysis, participant observation, and in-depth interviews with 12 key informants. The findings revealed that the “Miracle First 1,000 Days of Life” project represents the state’s efforts to manage and control citizen bodies from early life stages, through the construction of knowledge regimes concerning maternal care during pregnancy, maternal nutritional governance to ensure child well-being, and early childhood nurturing. Medical knowledge and health officials thus function as state agents in the biopolitical regulation of maternal and child bodies. This study challenges the notion of governmentality, showing that biopolitical governance is neither linear nor absolute. Families and health practitioners do not merely follow state health norms; they negotiate, adapt, and reinterpret guidelines according to their contexts. These practices reveal the contingent, negotiated nature of biopolitical power and how individuals actively construct multiple subjectivities within state governance.

“Homeness” in the Sense of Pierre Bourdieu

2025-07-04T09:20:36+07:00

This study probes the meaning of “homeness,” challenging reductionist views of the home as merely a physical structure. Guided by Pierre Bourdieu, the research illuminates the connections among the domestic sphere, personal identity, lifestyles, and the surrounding social and cultural fabric. The central question is how “homeness” can be understood as a socially situated space of reproduction under socially structural conditions. Qualitative document analysis of Bourdieu and scholars extending his concepts was employed to frame the home as a site of practice in which habitus and multiple forms of capital are enacted and negotiated dynamically. The findings indicate that “homeness” emerges from symbolic practice, where the habitus shapes the transformation of homes into spaces of identity and belonging. The home functions as an expression of cultural and social capital via decoration and taste, reflecting class distinctions. Habitation transcends personal experience, operating as a construction linked to power and the reproduction of social structures and meanings at both the micro and macro levels. Moreover, this study engages with critiques and extensions of Bourdieu’s framework, including the tendency to underemphasize the affective and mnemonic dimensions of dwelling, and the ways in which migration and contemporary social contexts reconfigure home as a site of identity negotiation.

Overcoming Crisis Opportunity: Thai Durian Producers’ Adaptation in a Transitional Era

2025-08-22T19:12:27+07:00

Thailand is the world’s leading producer and exporter of durians, generating income of over 100 billion baht for farmers and entrepreneurs. However, the growing demand for durian products has intensified market competition, while climate variability has made the production process increasingly difficult. This study aims to analyze the problems and challenges in durian production in Thailand and propose adaptation strategies for farmers and entrepreneurs. A quantitative research method was employed, using descriptive statistics to analyze data collected from 580 farmers and 52 government officials through questionnaires. The results revealed that, for farmers, the top three problems and challenges were: (1) rising production costs (x̄ = 2.86, moderate level), (2) emerging plant diseases and pests (x̄ = 2.64, moderate level), and (3) drought and water shortages for cultivation (x̄ = 2.41, low level). For entrepreneurs, the top three issues were: (1) market monopoly by China (x̄ = 3.12, moderate level), (2) fraudulent use of GMP certificates (x̄ = 2.88, moderate level), and (3) illegal importation and re-export of foreign durians (x̄ = 2.79, moderate level). The synthesis of adaptation strategies suggests that farmers should reduce production costs by using bio-fertilizers, strengthen disease monitoring through mobile applications and drones, and improve irrigation systems, such as drip irrigation, to address drought and water scarcity. For entrepreneurs, strategies include expanding export markets, developing retail systems to reduce dependency on China, and implementing a traceability system to prevent the fraudulent use of GMP certificates. In addition, entrepreneurs should adopt advanced technologies to verify the origin of durians. Recommendations are that farmers enhance their agricultural knowledge and digital technology skills, while entrepreneurs accelerate their adaptation to meet the challenges of competition and strict trade standards in the export market.

In the Name of Identity: Online Campaigning in Provincial Administrative Organization Elections in Thailand’s Three Southern Border Provinces

2025-09-23T16:42:22+07:00

The 2025 Provincial Administrative Organization (PAO) elections in Thailand’s southern border provinces reflected the dynamic convergence of identity politics and political marketing. This research aims to examine the use of Malayu-Islamic identity in electoral campaigning, focusing on the analysis of the official Facebook pages of PAO candidates in Yala, Pattani, and Narathiwat provinces, where social media has become the primary platform for political communication. The study findings reveal that many candidates utilized Malayu-Islamic identity as political capital through image construction, language use, references to religious activities, and emphasis on being Malayu-Muslim figures having intimacy with the community. Simultaneously, political marketing strategies were employed in conjunction, particularly message framing and targeting, to create distinctive political brands that appealed to different voter groups. The analysis demonstrates that Facebook pages served not merely as publicity channels, but also as

identity-based battlegrounds where identity became a political commodity that was negotiated, materialized, and repeatedly reproduced throughout the campaigning process. These findings indicate that local politics in the southern border provinces in 2025 encompassed more than just competition over policies or resources, but also represented a contest to define the meaning of being Malayu through digital spaces. This was particularly evident in the use of local identity as a communication tool, encompassing both policies connected to local Malayu identity and broader political discourse.

Fiscal Innovation for Enhancing Local Government Revenues: Lessons from Area-Based Research on Thai Local Administrative Organizations

2026-06-04T12:36:50+07:00

Although Thai local administrative organizations (LAOs) have continuously been assigned an increasing number of public service responsibilities under the decentralization process, their capacity to generate local revenue remains constrained by legal frameworks, fiscal authority, and central government oversight. This condition has generated an important debate regarding the capacity of local governments to achieve fiscal sustainability on their own. This study aims to examine and synthesize the place-based mechanisms of fiscal innovation that contribute to local revenue development under Thailand’s institutional constraints. It employed a qualitative multiple-case study design combined with Participatory Action Research (PAR) in four local administrative organizations: Don Kaew Subdistrict Administrative Organization, Mueang Phrae Municipality, Krabi Provincial Administrative Organization, and Songkhla Provincial Administrative Organization. Data were collected through documentary analysis, in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, co-design and innovation experimentation workshops with stakeholders, and analysis of service and financial data before and after implementation. The findings reveal that fiscal innovations that can enhance local revenue are not limited to the introduction of new taxes or fees. Rather, they constitute “hybrid fiscal innovation,” which integrates different types of innovations, including revenue, process, and digital, and behavioral and participatory, under the specific conditions of each locality. However, revenue outcomes do not emerge automatically; instead, they depend on legal readiness, organizational capacity, local leadership, collaboration among network partners, and public acceptance. In addition, the development of fiscal innovation continues to face constraints arising from a centralized fiscal structure, regulatory uncertainty, and the challenge of balancing revenue generation with local governments’ public service mission. This article proposes an analytical framework for place-based fiscal innovation to explain how local administrative organizations adapt under institutional constraints. It argues that the success of fiscal innovation does not result from financial instruments alone but from processes of learning, legitimacy-building, and relationship management among local stakeholders. These findings lead to policy recommendations for developing policy sandbox mechanisms and creating an institutional environment conducive to the sustainable development of local fiscal innovation.

Transparency in the Management of Thai Women Empowerment Fund: Case Study of the Occupation Groups, Sawankhalok District, Sukhothai Province

2026-05-14T16:05:49+07:00

This research article aimed to examine transparency in the operations of the Thai Women Empowerment Fund, using an occupational group in Wang Phinphat Subdistrict, Sawankhalok District, Sukhothai Province, as a case study. It also proposes guidelines for strengthening good governance in fund management. The study employed qualitative research methods, collecting data through documentary research and semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 10 key informants. Data were analyzed using content analysis based on the six principles of good governance established by the Office of the Civil Service Commission, including the rule of law, virtues, transparency, accountability, effectiveness, and participation. The findings revealed that the fund demonstrated a high level of transparency and community-based transparency through mechanisms such as financial information disclosure, clarification meetings, and external monitoring by government agencies, which helped strengthen members’ confidence in the fund administration. However, the major problems included the lack of a strong internal auditing system and excessive reliance on community-based relationships. Therefore, the study suggests that the governance system should be improved through amended regulations, the establishment of monitoring mechanisms, and systematic public disclosure of information to enhance transparency and ensure sustainable management of the fund.

Co-Creating Sustainable Future Cities: An Innovative Participatory Planning Approach Using LEGO® Serious Play® in a Secondary City of Thailand

2025-08-04T10:32:12+07:00

Secondary cities in the Global South, which are home to over half of the world’s urban dwellers, face governance gaps that hinder their sustainable progress. To address this gap, we evaluated an embodied, model-based participatory approach—LEGO® Serious Play® (LSP) combined with an Imaginary Future Generations (IFG) protocol—to improve clarity, inclusiveness, and long-term orientation in planning. This study unveils the power of LEGO® Serious Play® (LSP), complemented by Imaginary Future Generations (IFG), to inspire intergenerational perspectives in reimagining urban futures in Mae Hia Municipality, Thailand, a peri-urban secondary city in rapid flux. Using a mixed-methods design spanning 11 months, 40 diverse stakeholders joined structured workshops to co-create 20-year urban visions through three-dimensional model-building. The results revealed notable gains: 84% improvement in participation quality, 93% increase in creativity, and 79% flattening of the hierarchy (β=0.78, p<0.001). Thematic coding identified “embodied futuring” as the key mechanism for translating abstract sustainability concepts into tangible spatial plans. While outputs earned municipal praise and aligned with adaptation priorities, formal adoption lagged due to bureaucratic constraints. The innovative Participatory Planning Cycle bridges the vision-implementation divide, positioning secondary cities as vibrant innovation laboratories. This replicable framework advances sustainability science by democratizing complex planning through embodied cognition and by urging scholars to explore how secondary cities can advance sustainable urban governance worldwide.

Evolving Landscape of Philanthropy in Thailand: Trends, Challenges, and Opportunities in Social Sector Development

2025-12-24T09:59:50+07:00

Philanthropy in Thailand plays a critical role in addressing social and economic inequalities and has long been influenced by cultural and religious traditions, particularly Buddhist principles of merit-making, which emphasize generosity and community-based giving. In recent years, the philanthropic sector has undergone a significant transformation, driven by urbanization, economic development, and globalization. This study, based on a survey of 124 social organizations in Thailand, examines key philanthropic trends in 2024, focusing on Social Delivery Organizations (SDOs), and compares these trends with regional and global patterns. It also explores the factors influencing philanthropic behavior and the implications for Thailand’s broader social development. Findings reveal a growing emphasis on corporate social responsibility (CSR), social enterprises, and strategic philanthropy, with 96% of SDOs engaging in collaborations, surpassing the Asia average of 84 percent. However, challenges persist, including regulatory barriers, limited donor support for capacity building, and difficulties in talent recruitment and retention. Compared to regional peers, Thailand excels in corporate engagement but lags in regulatory clarity and donor accountability. This study suggests policy reforms, stronger donor emphasis on impact measurement, and future research to advance impact-based philanthropy in Thailand.

Applying Sociocultural Theory to Explain Cognitive Development of the Queer Mediums in Southeast Asia

2026-02-02T09:58:35+07:00

This research investigates the intersection of Neo-Animism ontology, sociocultural theory, and cognitive development in the trance rituals of gender-diverse spirit mediums in Southeast Asia. The United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development has faced scrutiny for its anthropocentric focus on economic growth, which often overlooks gender diversity and the ontological interconnectedness between human and non-human entities. Key Findings include 1) Cultural Tools for Cognitive Restructuring: Spirit mediumship functions as a sophisticated “cultural tool,” facilitating a shift in social identity from marginalized status to sacred agency. 2) Neuro-Protective Scaffolding: The practice mitigates spiritual cognitive dissonance and provides a “neural buffer” for the prefrontal cortex and amygdala. This process counteracts chronic minority stress by regulating cortisol levels and bolstering executive functions. 3) Cognitive Re-alignment: Results indicate a profound restructuring of self-perception, transitioning from alienation to “interconnectedness.” 4) Digital Democratization: The study identifies the rise of “Digital More Knowledgeable Others” (MKOs) on social media, which democratizes access to esoteric knowledge. In conclusion, this research challenges Western-centric secularization paradigms by asserting that sustainable development in Southeast Asia must transcend purely human-centric models. It argues that indigenous spiritual systems are not merely coping mechanisms but vital cognitive scaffolds that foster psychological resilience and redistribute social agency. These findings offer a critical framework for utilizing culture as a driver for inclusive, gender-sensitive, sustainable development.