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ETHNIC IDENTITIE S AN D ASPECT S O F CLAS S IN CONTEMPORAR Y CENTRA L THAILAN D Christina Blanc Szanton ABSTRACT This paper , commissione d fo r th e Symposium , analyze s th e economi c transformations o f lat e 20th-centur y Centra l Thailand , includin g socioeconomic stratificatio n an d clas s formation, i n term s o f their relationship s to ethnicit y an d ethni c relations . I t emphasize s th e importanc e o f viewing ethnicity no t primiarl y a s a constan t ascribe d trai t inherite d fro m th e pas t but rathe r a s th e resul t o f a dynami c proces s whic h continue s t o unfold , constantly bein g reformulate d b y al l th e agent s involved . Importan t elements in that process , as demonstrated b y current research i n th e Thir d and Wester n worlds , ar e th e role s o f th e nation-stat e administratio n o f power, symboli c o r otherwise , th e existin g structure s o f opportunitie s i n specific historicall y changin g economic/politica l contexts , an d th e changing awarenesse s o f class , ethni c selfhoo d an d th e ethni c selfhoo d o f others, by national participants . The pape r firs t emphasize s th e relationship s betwe n th e creatio n o f Thailand a s a nation-state, an d th e ne w definition s o f nationness, nationa l identity (wha t i t mean s t o be a Tha i citizen) , an d ethni c identit y (wha t i t means to be Chinese) that developed during the first half of the 20th century . It then focuses on field research in a coastal Central Thai town between 197 3 and 1985 to illustrate the following points: (1) A n urba n Sino-Tha i middl e clas s ha s emerge d fro m trad e an d business afte r Worl d Wa r II , a s note d b y Skinner , an d i s increasingl y moving int o highe r educatio n an d th e professions , no w mostl y intermarrying, an d practisin g a combinatio n o f Thai an d Chines e pattern s of behaviour tha t ha s insure d thei r adaptiv e succes s s o far, an d facilitate s their reproductio n a s a social segment . (2) I t i s importan t t o recogniz e tha t thes e Chinese , no w Sino-Thai , i n Thailand hav e ha d varyin g foci fo r thei r ow n collectiv e reproductio n a s a n ethnic populatio n ove r time . The y have , give n differen t politica l environments, relie d mor e heavil y fo r ethni c reinforcemen t o n school s o r temples, fo r ethni c reinforcemen t an d forma l languag e teachin g an d rituals, and/o r afte r th e 1950s , o n economi c niche s an d behaviou r (credi t systems for example) , on different type s of ethnic associations , usually als o requiring som e informa l languag e ability , an d o n privat e kinshi p practices an d rituals . 290 CHRISTIAN BLAN C SZANTO N (3) Finally , th e fieldwor k experienc e als o indicate s tha t individual ethnic an d clas s awarenes s ar e no t necessaril y orderl y an d consistent , bu t rather mor e varie d an d fragmentary , a s manifeste d i n dail y interaction s or throug h individua l self-expression . Th e individual s themselves , exposed t o ofte n contradictor y message s an d formulation s abou t wha t i s ethnic o r class , wil l sho w a n ofte n ambiguou s an d usuall y strongl y situational sens e o f self . Thes e formulation s includ e th e mid/lat e 20t h century recurren t emphase s o f th e Tha i lega l syste m o n occupationa l categories (peasan t versu s trade r i n particular) , th...

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