Thai Habitus in Contemporary Society

Paving the Way for Tackling Inequality

Bibliographic Data

ID6455957
AuthorsSirima Thongsawang (0000-0003-4955-7603, Chulalongkorn University, corresponding author), B Rehbein (0000-0002-3003-7432, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin), Supang Chantavanich (0000-0002-6393-4236, Chulalongkorn University)
Year2024
Volume13
Issue1
Pages107-132
Publication date2024-08-27
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueTRaNS Trans -Regional and -National Studies of Southeast Asia (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2051-364X • E-ISSN: 2051-3658
PublisherCambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1017/trn.2024.4
OpenAlexW4401922031
LanguageEN
References cited21

This paper examines the habitus of contemporary Thailand based on the concepts developed by Pierre Bourdieu and their operationalisation to Thai society developed by Boike Rehbein's principles, which explain how contemporary habitus is linked to social inequality and mobilisation participation. Thailand has two key social structures: precapitalist and capitalist. Both create and reproduce different types of habitus. The paper used a mixed-methods research approach to analyse social inequality and challenges in Thailand since 2019. Data collection was conducted during the years between 2021 and 2022 from 400 surveys and fifteen qualitative interviews. The paper proposes eight habitus types rooted in Thai social structures with seven characteristics for explaining contemporary Thai society. The pre-capitalist structure generates the following habitus types: subsistential, traditionalist, and powerful ( phuyai ). The capitalist structure generates the following types: desperate, individualist, aspirant, and content creator. Between these two structures is the conformist. All habitus types share some characteristics. Authoritarianism is the fundamental trait of the predominant habitus types in Thai society, which are interconnected with social structures, thereby reflecting the consequences of social inequality and mobilisations. The demographic most affected by social inequality is the desperate group, but a more significant habitus for mobilisation participation is that of content creator, which is considerably small now but is likely to increase. Traditionalist and conformist groups are less likely to protest and, to a lesser degree, this is true of the subsistential and powerful types. Moreover, rationales of being affected by social inequality and reacting differently are distinct characteristics of each type, and socio-economic positions interplayed with social media influences

Cultural capital · Habitus · Inequality · Social science · Sociology · Gender Studies · Mathematics · Migration, Ethnicity, and Economy · Social and Cultural Dynamics · Southeast Asian Sociopolitical Studies

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