Development Monks in Northeast Thailand

Development Monks in Northeast Thailand
Author :
Publisher : Apollo Books
Total Pages : 348
Release :
ISBN-10 : 1920901396
ISBN-13 : 9781920901394
Rating : 4/5 (96 Downloads)

Synopsis Development Monks in Northeast Thailand by : Phinit Lāpthanānon

This study examines the role of Buddhist monks as development agents in rural Thailand. Through 20 years of field studies, and with a focus on Northeast Thailand (which is known as Isan and long classified as the poorest region of Thailand), author Pinit Lapthananon investigates development in contemporary Thailand. Although development monks form a small percentage of the monks in Isan, or in Thailand as a whole, their actions have been highly visible in Thai society for more than five decades, and they have helped to maintain a balance between modernization and traditional culture. The book examines the role of Buddhism, investigates religious and socioeconomic activities, and probes the changing approach to development - with an emphasis on economic growth to support both social and human development, self-sufficiency, community participation and empowerment, and the revitalization of traditional knowledge and folk wisdom. The Role of Development Monks in Northeast Thailand will help in understanding the process of development and social change in Isan society. (Series: Kyoto Area Studies on Asia - Vol. 22)

Contemporary Socio-Cultural and Political Perspectives in Thailand

Contemporary Socio-Cultural and Political Perspectives in Thailand
Author :
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages : 538
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9789400772441
ISBN-13 : 9400772440
Rating : 4/5 (41 Downloads)

Synopsis Contemporary Socio-Cultural and Political Perspectives in Thailand by : Pranee Liamputtong

This volume examines contemporary Thailand. It captures aspects of Thai society that have changed dramatically over the past years and that have turned Thailand into a society that is different from what most people outside the country know and expect. The social transition of Thailand has been marked by economic growth, population restructuring, social and cultural development, political movements, and many reforms including the national health care system. The book covers the social, cultural, and economic changes as well as political situations. It discusses both historical contexts and emerging issues. It includes chapters on social and public health concerns, and on ethnicity, gender, sexuality and social class. Most chapters use information from empirical-based and historical research. They describe real life experiences of the contributors and Thai people who participated in the research.

The Dynamics of Social Capital and Civic Engagement in Asia

The Dynamics of Social Capital and Civic Engagement in Asia
Author :
Publisher : Routledge
Total Pages : 299
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9781136456558
ISBN-13 : 1136456554
Rating : 4/5 (58 Downloads)

Synopsis The Dynamics of Social Capital and Civic Engagement in Asia by : Amrita Daniere

The purpose of this volume is to highlight the impacts on civic engagement of social capital, and its various component parts (trust, norms, networks and associations), in diverse parts of Asia. Addressing the pressing need for improved governance within the spatial, political and cultural realities in the rapidly transforming landscapes of Asia, the contributors to the book bring together interdisciplinary work that focuses on the ways in which civic engagement can link with social capital building. The goal of this volume is to inspire policy that recognizes that a vibrant society with access to rich stores of positive social capital requires civil society, alternate civilities and the state. The result is a dialogue on the interplay of social capital and civic engagement in socio-political contexts quite different from those found in the West. This book contributes to current discussions about the nature of social relations and their connection to politics and change and offers a unique lens into the validity of these important concepts in contemporary research across a variety of Asian settings. It will be of interest to social scientists across the board, especially those with an interest in Asia and Asian development.

Fair Trade and Organic Initiatives in Asian Agriculture

Fair Trade and Organic Initiatives in Asian Agriculture
Author :
Publisher : Routledge
Total Pages : 172
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9781317224525
ISBN-13 : 1317224523
Rating : 4/5 (25 Downloads)

Synopsis Fair Trade and Organic Initiatives in Asian Agriculture by : Rie Makita

In addition to constituting an evolving area of inquiry within the social sciences, agricultural certification, and particularly its Fair Trade and organic components, has emerged as a significant tool for promoting rural development in the global South. This book is unique for two reasons. First, in contrast to existing studies that have tended to examine Fair Trade and organic certification as independent systems, the studies presented in this book reveal their joint application within actual production settings, demonstrating the greater complexity entailed in these double certification systems through the generation of contradictions and tensions compared with single certification systems. Second, the authors, who are both Asian, reveal the realities of applying Fair Trade and organic certification systems within Asian agriculture. In doing so, they challenge the fact that most Fair Trade studies have been undertaken by Western scholars who have tended to focus on Latin American and African producers. Drawing on a wealth of grounded case studies conducted in India, Thailand, and the Philippines, this pioneering study on double certification makes a significant contribution to studies on Fair Trade and organic agriculture beyond Asia.

Reflections on Development in Southeast Asia

Reflections on Development in Southeast Asia
Author :
Publisher : Institute of Southeast Asian Studies
Total Pages : 213
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9789971988999
ISBN-13 : 9971988992
Rating : 4/5 (99 Downloads)

Synopsis Reflections on Development in Southeast Asia by : Teck Ghee Lim

The rapid pace of economic development in Southeast Asia has involved a changing and often volatile relationship between traditional structures and values, and new structures associated with state and administrative power. In this volume, a variety of original perspectives is offered on crucial subjects, including region, the bureaucracy, the state and non-governmental organizations.

The Ordination of a Tree

The Ordination of a Tree
Author :
Publisher : State University of New York Press
Total Pages : 338
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9781438444666
ISBN-13 : 1438444664
Rating : 4/5 (66 Downloads)

Synopsis The Ordination of a Tree by : Susan M. Darlington

Thai Buddhist monks wrap orange clerical robes around trees to protect forests. "Ordaining" a tree is a provocative ritual that has become the symbol of a small but influential monastic movement aimed at reversing environmental degradation and the unsustainable economic development and consumerism that fuel it. This book examines the evolution of this movement from the late 1980s to the present, exploring the tree ordination and other rituals used to resist destructive national projects. Susan M. Darlington explores monks' motivations, showing how they interpret their lived religion as the basis of their actions, and provides an in-depth portrait of activist monk Phrakhru Pitak Nanthakhun. The obstacles monks face, including damage to their reputations, arrest, and even assassination, reveal the difficulty of enacting social justice. Even the tree ordination itself must now withstand its appropriation for state projects. Despite this, monks have gone from individual action to a loosely allied movement that now works with nongovernmental organizations. This is a fascinating, firsthand account of engaged Buddhism.

Dharma Rain

Dharma Rain
Author :
Publisher : Shambhala Publications
Total Pages : 507
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9780834823815
ISBN-13 : 0834823810
Rating : 4/5 (15 Downloads)

Synopsis Dharma Rain by : Stephanie Kaza

A comprehensive collection of classic texts, contemporary interpretations, guidelines for activists, issue-specific information, and materials for environmentally-oriented religious practice. Sources and contributors include Basho, the Dalai Lama, Thich Nhat Hanh, Gary Snyder, Chögyam Trungpa, Gretel Ehrlich, Peter Mathiessen, Helen Tworkov (editor of Tricycle), and Philip Glass.

"Right Development"

Author :
Publisher : Lexington Books
Total Pages : 502
Release :
ISBN-10 : 0739109375
ISBN-13 : 9780739109373
Rating : 4/5 (75 Downloads)

Synopsis "Right Development" by : Juliana Essen

The intent here is not to offer a new metastrategy for global development but to underscore the need for diverse responses to the vast array of economic, social, and environmental dilemmas."--BOOK JACKET.

Ecological Policy and Politics in Developing Countries

Ecological Policy and Politics in Developing Countries
Author :
Publisher : SUNY Press
Total Pages : 348
Release :
ISBN-10 : 0791437809
ISBN-13 : 9780791437803
Rating : 4/5 (09 Downloads)

Synopsis Ecological Policy and Politics in Developing Countries by : Uday Desai

Examines in depth the ecological problems, policies, and politics of ten major developing countries.