Joining the Values Debate

The Peculiar Case of Thailand

Bibliographic Data

ID6086313
AuthorsSurin Maisrikrod (corresponding author)
Year1999
Volume14
Issue2
Pages402-413
Publication date1999-10-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Social Issues in Southeast Asia (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0217-9520 • E-ISSN: 1793-2858
PublisherISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute (PUBLISHER • SG)
DOI10.1355/sj14-2g
OpenAlexW2015085855
LanguageEN
Citations received6

This article discusses the relationship between the debate and democratic development in Thailand. Although there are beliefs and practices that could be identified as - which share common features with other Asian values - what is more salient in the Thai case is that the debate is not over the unsuitability of liberal democracy to the Thai cultural context but over which set of values, Western or Thai, best promotes civil society and liberal democracy. Western -based democracy is unquestionably accepted as a basis for political legitimacy in Thailand. The globalizes see universalism as a major source of democratic development, while the communitarians believe such an aspiration could be best realized by going back to Thai cultural roots and values - strong family ties, kinship, and co-operative community spirit - which are anti-state and anti-authoritarian in character and hence prodemocracy

Authoritarianism · Character (mathematics · Context (archaeology · Democracy · Kinship · Legitimacy · Liberal democracy · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Salient · Sociology · State (computer science · Universalism · History · Law · Southeast Asian Sociopolitical Studies

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