A Synthesis of Integrated Study Approaches of Contemporary Local Politic Context in Surat-Thani Province

Abstract

It can be said that progress in creating new knowledge in Thai local political and administrative context are considered important. The basis for creating political stability at the national level according to the research findings which are the status of being an important tool leading to development and significantly solving problems in local communities. This article therefore aims to explore research issues in projecting local politics and to review relevant epistemological positions including to synthesize approaches to the integrated study of contemporary local politics in Surat Thani Province with a qualitative research format by using methods to research documents from theses and independent studies of MSc.students in Political Science program in Suratthani Rajabhat University. The research also comprised of in-depth interviews from key informants who are driving the study of politics and local government in the southern region by analyzing the content and synthesizing it to final data sets of contemporary local politics in Surat Thani Province. The research results are classified as follows: 1) local politics research issues were found to be most focused on presenting the scope of local political studies. Next is the study of integration of local administration and local government respectively, while 2) the epistemological standpoint was found to have an integrated concept covering both political science and public administration. Nevertheless, it had an inclination towards political science (57.89 percent). In addition, 3) an integrated approach to the study of local politics involves the relation on a quantitative analytical framework based on the behavioralist era study framework as the basis for conducting research. This reflects the strength of using statistical tools to support data sets to explain local political phenomena to be more reliable. In this regard, the compilation of data sets from graduate research studies that can be put into practice is emphasizing the role of various educational institutions that should be realized in being a source for local politics study. It is also an important mechanism for integrating and connecting networks for development in all dimensions in a holistic manner. This requires urgently adjusting in the paradigm of organizing local political education under the framework of an integrated approach which related to the philosophy and identity of the curriculum. In order to raise the quality of academics to support the creation of new knowledge on local politics in the contemporary context to produce empirical results.