The Maintenance of Akha Ethnic Adolescence Identity: A Case Study at Pasangnangeon Village, Mae Fahluang District, Chiangrai Province
Abstract
This qualitative research describes the objectives of the maintenance of Akha ethnic
adolescence identity at Pasangnangeon village. This study investigates and analyzes the four
identities of young Akha people.
The study based on ethnolinguistics and sociolinguistics. It examined the influence of
ethnic identity, social identity, cultural identity, and linguistic identity of the Akha adolescents.
In order to select several young Akha sample by random to continue a further study, the
information and data were collected from recording and interviewing, focusing on Akha
ethnic adolescence identity. The researcher selected only 20 samples that are closely 80% of
young population from 359 citizens.
The results of the study showed the differences were effective in all domains, depending on
their individual situation and the influence of ethnic identity, social identity, cultural identity,
and linguistic identity. The study showed that the percentage of ethnic identity in the individual’s
perception of the ethnic awareness was the highest, followed by ethnic self-identification,
ethnic attitude, and ethnic behaviors. The finding in the absence of social identity, personality
was the first rating, followed by self-concept, and social role. In cultural identity life history
and celebration was the most, followed by group belonging, cultural norms and perspective,
and cultural maintenance. For linguistic identity, language vitality was the highest ranking
followed by language attitude, language choice, and language maintenance. As an example of
the Akha youth prefer to adapt their lifestyle with something new, but most of them still use
the Akha language in all situations. The contingent level of confusion, mixing, and borrowing
words are in the process of communication. Because standard Thai is not the native language
of their own, sometimes they are not able to express the meaning in various contexts clearly.
The recommendation from this study is that young Akha should preserve, protect, and
maintain the inherited Akha identities in all aspects. They should provide some areas in terms
of creating a better environment of learning Akha and encourage learners to learn their ethnic
identities.
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