Journal of Social Sciences Naresuan University

Book Review Anthropology of Religion: Basic Concepts and Theoretical Debates

Apirag Poolampai — 2023-12-22

Editorial Note

Chaipong Samnieng — 2023-12-22

Political Emotions in Political Science and Thai Politics

Pad Lavankura — 2023-12-22

The study of political emotions is to explore the inner world of political phenomena, including both the macro-politics of the state and the micro-politics of individuals. This academic article discusses the development of the studies on political emotions, from classical acceptance to modern neglect, and their recent resurgence since the mid-1990s. This article highlights the development of approaches used in studying political emotions, from traditional methods within the limitations of the positivist paradigm to new and more integrated approaches that view emotions as related to politics. This is because the study of emotions involves delving into human foundations and the things that people value, which would lead to a comprehensive understanding of both individual and collective political actions, where emotions are embedded and dynamically connected and interact with external factors. In Thailand, limited academic works have focused on this subject despite intense expressions of emotions in polarized political scenarios. Increased understanding and awareness of political emotions could contribute to solving Thailand’s political problems in the future.

Identity Concept in Classical Organizational Theory: A Systemic Conceptual Analysis of Frederick Taylor’s The Principle of Scientific Management

Phakkanan Leongpanyawong — 2023-12-22

This article aims to study Frederick Taylor’s The Principle of Scientific Management as a case study for Stuart Albert and David Whetten’s CED framework. The author used an interpretative method to analyze the work for identity traces in Taylor’s writing. According to this experiment, there are traces of humanism related to the identity concept in many parts of the work. This should imply the main criticism of later scholars on Taylor's insistent of the ‘one-best-way’ method in the cost of the human condition in the workplace that is somewhat incorrect. Therefore, we could read Taylor’s work as part of the socio-economic context and relate the work as one of the ways to elevate human living conditions during his era.

Coping with Deceleration: Cities, Mobility, and Temporal Politics in the Time of COVID-19 Pandemic

Pinkaew Laungaramsri — 2023-12-22

This paper examines the deceleration process caused by the spread of COVID-19 and the lockdown measurements that affected changes in Chiang Mai, a tourist city, and Mae Sot, a border town. It analyzes the effects on flows of capital, consumption, and production crucial to service sectors in Chiang Mai and an industrial sector in Mae Sot through the politics of time. Central to the paper is how the measurement of the pandemic reflects the tension between different temporal regimes, particularly the bureaucratic time and people’s time. Such strained relationships circumscribed the process of assisting people to survive the hard time and became the factor that contributed to the distinctive experiences of suspension and inequality of temporality among large-scale capitalists, small-scale ones, migrants, and non-Thai others. In this context, enduring time has different meanings among different groups of people defined by classes and nationalities, despite the fact that these different groups of people have all played vital roles in sustaining the lives of the cities.

Artificial Intelligence and Moral Responsibility: A Philosophical Problem

Piyanat Prathomwong — 2023-12-22

The progress of artificial intelligence (AI) has raised debates on moral responsibility. Humans tend to delegate tasks and practices to AI. Whereas AI can learn and make decision by itself, it cannot be morally responsible and independent from the human being. The crucial question is how can we understand and articulate the moral responsibility of AI if the practices of AI have unintended consequences or are morally wrong? According to a documentary research method, this article aims to study and analyze the problem of AI and moral responsibility. It then discusses and proposes arguments attempting to tackle the problem of the responsibility gap. As a result, it offers two thesis statements: (1) it advocates that moral responsibility demands moral agency in a non-traditional approach, i.e., it does not locate responsibility in the individual and its human-like attribution. Furthermore, (2) it argues, following the previous statement, that the concept of moral agency as a mutual interaction between humans and AI is necessary for moral responsibility. Although the argument tends to deal with agency and causality—which is consistent with a backward-looking approach, we should also adjust it to consider moral responsibility in terms of a forward-looking approach.

People’s Democratic Movement in Post-colonial Period: A Comparative Study of Myanmar, Indonesia and the Philippines

Montri Kunphoommarl — 2023-12-22

This paper is aimed to compare the political transition patterns and political movement methods of people in Myanmar, Indonesia, and the Philippines in post-colonial. Using qualitative research emphasizes documentary data collection and data analysis by historical research through the concepts of political transition, social movement, and student movement. Presenting social movement groups characteristics based on resource mobilization and student movement tactics against mentioned political transitions.The results of the study show that in the post-colonial period, the political transitions in three of said countries had moved to the democratic period after independence. However, there were still limitations caused by the economic downturn and the conflicts of various political and social groups which changed from the parliamentary democracy to the authoritarian regime. The military dictatorship under General Ne Win launched the Burmese-style socialist development policy from 1962 to 1988. The authoritarian regime of Suharto’s New Order Policy was implemented from 1967 to 1998 in Indonesia. President Marcos declared martial law from 1972 to 1981 to eliminate opposition and dissidents in the Philippines. The people’s political movements in these countries consisted of the uprising of 8-8-88 students, people, and monks who joined the Burmese dictatorship protest (August 8, 1988) in Myanmar; the 1998 Indonesian student movement; and the People’s Power Revolution or EDSA or Yellow Revolution in the Philippines during 1986. The suggestions are to adopt the participatory democracy concept to strengthen the groups’ potential and efficiently promote the knowledge of people’s movement. The strong and weak factors learned from people’s political movements in each country could be decent lessons for people’s movement strategies or tactics in other Southeast Asian countries in the future.

The Use of State Powers in Organizing the Land System of the Eastern Economic Corridor

Chaiyon Praditsil — 2023-12-22

This qualitative research aims to analyze the politics of land system management and the effects of land system management and to propose guidelines for effective land management of the Eastern Economic Corridor based on Marxist political economic theory. The research methodology adopted three types of data collection: documentary study, interview, and observation. The analytical method was used to analyze the structure and actions under the concept of dialectical principles that emphasize interactions between social actors, social structure, and social process. The results of the study show that the politics of the land system management of the Eastern Economic Corridor reflected the use of state power exercised by the coup d’état to manage the land system, resulting in four forms of public resistance movements, including movements of resistance in the dictatorship era (2014), street politics, politics in the parliament, and politics in justice system. The impact of land systemization led to a wide range of subsequent variations in each area, such as the destruction of agricultural lands, and the impacts on food security, land ownership and land tenancy, etc. Concerning the effective land management guidelines of the Eastern Economic Corridor, an alternative strategic policy to develop the Eastern Economic Corridor as the main food source should be launched, and fair compensation to those affected by the land system arrangement, the adjustment of the project analysis process in town planning, including the adjustment of land tax, should be provided.

Historical Institutionalism: A Critical Analysis of State-Local Relations in Conflict Management in the Southern Border Provinces

Punyawan Jitprakong — 2023-12-22

This research article aims to study state-local relations in conflict management in the southern border provinces with a critical analysis perspective through the framework of the historical institutional approach. The method of data collection from documents is the main one and supports the analysis of controversies with in-depth interviews with academics and local leaders in the areas with the highest cumulative frequency of violent incidents during 2004-2021 in Yarang District of Pattani Province, Mueang District of Yala Province, Ra-ngae District of Narathiwat Province, and Thepha District of Songkhla Province. The results of the study revealed that state-local relations are conflicting power relations as a result of the historical development of modern state formation, the annexation of Patani with Siam, changes of governance, and centralized administration of the state by supporting the role of the army and the military as main institutions or actors. The Thai state exercised the power to control, direct, suppress, reduce, and limit the actions of local institutions or actors in the southern border provinces in which the historical shackles determined the formation of the institutional structure that was the path dependency.

Conceal but Reveal, Illegal but not against Social Norms: Views on Gambling in Isan Society

Pinwadee Srisupan — 2023-12-22

For Thai society, “gambling” is a term that is often represented in a negative way that is both legal and illegal at the same time, while being a vice with a moral dimension. Many types of gambling can be played and easily accessible until they have become normal in society. This paper presents the perspectives of gambling from 51 case studies in Khon Kaen province. Qualitative research was conducted by using an in-depth interview technique, focus group discussion, and non-participant observation. The research result was framed by practice theory. It was found that the perspectives on gambling of each person are different. Certain types of gambling, especially underground lottery, are common in the view of the villagers. It has been in daily life for a long time, and most lottery buyers think that it does not affect them in a negative way. Some forms of gambling embedded in cultural traditions are acceptable, while gambling in the form of going to the casino is evil in the eyes of the general public. Many types of gambling have always been hidden activities in society. The definitions and perspectives on gambling depend on the socio-cultural and social norms of individual groups. In their views, many forms of gambling are illegal but not against social norms.

Yang Na and Champa Khao: Status and Guidelines for the Conservation of Heritage Trees in Nakhonthai District, Phitsanulok Province

Gwyntorn Satean — 2023-12-22

This This research aims to study the status and guidelines for the conservation of Yang Na and Champa Khao trees in Nakhonthai District, Phitsanulok Province. A qualitative research method was used, consisting of a status survey using the Forest Department's preliminary tree diagnosis form. Perceived value was collected through in-depth interviews with 12 local philosophers and community leaders, along with participatory observations on the sacrifice ceremony. Guideline for conservation were collected through community forums, with 50 participants, and the information was then used to synthesize the content. The study found that both heritage trees were in good health and had been well taken care of by forest officials and local communities. The values of heritage trees including: 1) cultural heritage; 2) community history; 3) their significance as a big trees, 4) recreation; and 5) aesthetics. Additionally, the Yang Na tree holds ecological value, while Champa Khao is considered a rare tree. Strategies for the conservation of heritage trees can be divided into two approaches: 1) short-term measures for protecting the Yang Na tree. Community committees should establish a tree protection zone and introduce sightseeing regulations. Specifically, the landscape improvement project of Noenphoem subdistrict administrative organization should be completed as soon as possible; 2) long-term measures for preserving both heritage trees such as given them regular health check using arboricultural techniques, and planting more heritage trees. Finally, the cultural heritage values of big trees should be taught to local children and youth.

The Development of Phonological Loop and Visuospatial Sketchpad Working Memory Board Game in Child and Adolescence

Nattaporn Opasanon — 2023-12-22

Working memory is a cognitive function that involves memorizing and manipulating information. The deficit in this skill relates to several problems, including neuropsychological symptoms, developmental problems, and psychiatric disorders. This study therefore aims to develop a board game that accurately and appropriately measures the domains of language and auditory (phonological loop) and visual and spatial (visuospatial sketchpad) in Thai children and adolescents. To achieve this, the researchers examined the relationships between the board game developed in this study and the two standardized assessments, namely Digit span and Corsi block tapping. 178 children and adolescents aged between seven and nineteen years old from primary and secondary schools in the province of Phitsanulok, Thailand. After evaluating the participants' working memories by using the board game and the two standardized tests, results revealed positive relationships between all sub-measurements of the board game and the standardized assessments (p < .001). Thus, this study suggests that the board game developed measures both components of the cognitive functions. Further studies to continue and improve this tool will make this board game applicable in clinical settings.

Dynamics of Thai State Repression in Case of Free People Movements

Prapart Pintobtang — 2023-12-22

This research article aims to study the difference and distinction of forms and ways of repression carried out by the state towards the mobilization of “Free People Movement” in various social and political contexts with their affects. Qualitative research was conducted through interviews of key informants who were movement leaders, staff of the Thai Lawyers for Human Rights-TLHR, as well as police officers, including data from lawsuit cases from the TLHR. The study reveals that Thai Government led by General Prayuth Chan-ocha had confronted the movements during 2020-2022 with various forms and ways of repression. The government had taken up an escalated force or coercive model as a repression and abolition for the demonstrations. The laws and judicial processes, i.e. Article 112 of Penal Code and other relevant laws, were also exercised with lawsuits made against movement leaders. The following-up with monitoring and threats were made towards them. The Information Operation (IO) was widely used to suppress the growing campaign of the Free People Movement.

“Re-examining the Political Landscape of Thailand”: The 2023 Election Results and “the Tale of Two Democracies”

Apichat Satitniramai — 2023-12-22

This paper argues that the results of the 2023 general election, for the first time, conclusively reject the “Tale of Two Democracies”–an influential explanation of Thai politics and election results proposed by Anek Laothamatas (1995). On the contrary, this article proposes that a research paper entitled “Re-examining the Political Landscape of Thailand” by Apichat Satitniramai, Yukti Mukdawijitra, and Niti Pawakapan (2013) provides a better explanation for the result of this election. This set of research proposed that during the past thirty years, the socio-economic changes in Thailand had fundamentally and economically eroded clientelism, which was the core idea of the Tale of Two Democracies. These changes gave rise to the new ‘lower middle class,’ who are no longer under the spell of patron–client relations. This election shows that the earlier lower class now turned into a ‘new citizen,’ an active political force.