Power in Rural Villager Society: Looking through the Lens of Esan People’s Boonpavet Religious Ceremony

Abstract

The objective of this research was to study the
relationship of people in rural villager society by looking
through the lens of economic, social, and political dimensions. The author studied traditional merit
ceremony in a village of Esan peasants by collecting data
from a survey and interview in each household, total of
85 households in order to understand the power
relationship of traditional religious ceremony in rural
villager society of rural people. The major questions
were: what would be the power in traditional religious
ceremony of rural villager society? How it would be
significant for understanding the conflict in Thai society?
The research findings found that the ceremony in
traditional religious ceremony from a number of rural
people, became an area for dramatics which was not
sacred like in the past. People were assigned to be
actors in ceremony willingly and being employed. The
participants needed the expected income, happiness,
recognition and prestige, and future voting.
Consequently, the present religious ceremony was not
only to pay respect for sacred things but also to obtain
both of economic and political networks. As a result, it
was major characteristic of power in ceremony of rural
villager society being hidden in community through the
ranking in relationship of economic, social, and political
powers of present Thai society which was significant for
understanding the existed social conflict in current Thai
society that the peasants in rural area wanted to play
their political role more than in former time. But, if the
public power structure did not open for them to participate
in truly, the conflict in Thai society would be occurred
further.