CULTURAL ARTS KNOWLEDGE TRAINING COURSE FOR THE SURVIVAL OF ETHNIC GROUPS IN PHUTAKIAN COMMUNITY THA SAO SUBDISTRICT, SAI YOK DISTRICT, KANCHANABURI PROVINCE

Abstract

Background and Objectives: The Ban Phutakian Community, Tha Sao Subdistrict, Sai Yok District, Kanchanaburi Province, is a community with a history that dates back to before World War II. It is also a community where various ethnic groups have settled, including the Mon ethnic group, the Karen ethnic group, the Thai Yuan ethnic group, and other ethnic groups. As a result, the arts and culture within this community are diverse and unique. It has also provided arts and culture occupations that support people in the community. However, due to the changing social and cultural situation, the knowledge of arts and culture that has a role and function in traditions and culture has been reduced in importance, which also affects these arts and culture occupations. The number of people employed in arts and culture has decreased. As a result, music teachers, musicians, and actors have moved and changed their occupations, which is an important reason why the arts and culture that are the foundation of the Phutakian community are disappearing. Therefore, this research aims to study the history and knowledge of arts and culture for the livelihood of ethnic groups and to develop a training curriculum for knowledge of arts and culture for the livelihood of ethnic groups, in order to be a tool for preserving and restoring cultural heritage to remain in a tangible form and to be an important foundation for the development of training curricula which will help promote the transfer of knowledge from generation to generation systematically, resulting in participatory learning within the community. This can also create opportunities to adapt traditional wisdom to suit modern lifestyles, which will lead to awareness of cultural values in ethnic groups, especially among youth who are the inheritors of knowledge in the future.

Methods: We conducted the research using Participatory Action Research (PAR) as the primary methodological framework. Field data were collected through semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, and participant observation. The key informants included: (1) community leaders and local wisdom holders, (2) musicians and performing artists, and (3) school directors and teachers. Additionally, a quantitative research component was conducted using a questionnaire survey, with the population and sample group consisting of students at Phutthawimut Wittaya School.

Results: The research results found that history and knowledge of arts and culture are cultural heritages of ethnic groups, reflecting the identity of the community through knowledge of arts and culture, including ethnic traditional play, ethnic music, and Mon Likay performances. However, due to social and cultural changes, some of this knowledge has been lost. The community has therefore begun to restore it by using the educational process. This process can be integrated with Participatory Action Research (PAR) community participation to conduct training courses to create a learning process in arts and culture. The evaluation results of the training course on knowledge of arts and culture for livelihood showed that the level of awareness of the training course on arts and culture for livelihood in terms of curriculum and content, lecturers, teaching media and equipment, study locations, and environment was at a high level. In terms of training activities, knowledge and understanding gained from training, as well as application of this knowledge, were at the highest level.

Conclusions: This research aimed to study the history and knowledge of arts and culture for the livelihood of ethnic groups within the Phutakian community. This knowledge of arts and culture has been passed down from generation to generation, becoming a model that can be learned, especially ethnic traditional play, music, and Mon Likay performances. It plays an important role in traditions and rituals and enhances entertainment, love, and unity within the community. However, with the current social and cultural dynamics, the arts and culture of ethnic groups within the community have begun to disappear. Therefore, this study designed the process of developing a training course on knowledge of arts and culture for the livelihood of ethnic groups using the concept of curriculum development, starting from problem analysis, setting goals, selecting and organizing content, and designing learning experiences to evaluation, emphasizing the participation of knowledgeable people in ethnic communities together with educational institutions to create a learning process that is consistent with the context of the community. The results of this research indicate that the development of such a training course is a concrete approach that can effectively conserve, restore, and promote the continuation of cultural knowledge and plays an important role in sustainably maintaining cultural identity in the community.