Pilot study

"Social Space of Shan in the Urban City: Focusing on the Formation of Social Space of Shan Youth in Bangkok,Thailand"

R6 2-1 (R6 AY2024)

Project LeaderWonseon Park(Osaka University, Graduate School of Humanities)
Research ProjectSocial Space of Shan in the Urban City: Focusing on the Formation of Social Space of Shan Youth in Bangkok,Thailand
Countries of StudyThailand

Outline of Research

The subject of this research is an ethnic group called "Shan" who migrated from Shan State, Myanmar to Thailand. The purpose of this research is to clarify what kind of social space is formed by Shan Youths in Bangkok, the capital city of Thailand, and how the young migrants live in the city. The research methodology is mainly field research, and participant observation and interview surveys are conducted at multiple locations where Shan youths gather in Bangkok.

Purpose of Research, Its Significance and Expected Results, etc

The purpose of this study is to clarify the social space formed by the youths of Shan in Bangkok, Thailand, which is one of the ethnic groups moved from Myanmar, and to clarify the urban lifestyle of young migrants. In my previous research, I focused on Shan youths living in urban areas of Chiang Mai Province in northern Thailand, and clarified that their social space functions not only as a place to recognize their ethnicity, but also as a place to recognize "differences" among themselves. However, in order to depict the macro urban society for migrants, it is not enough to only elucidate the city of Chiang Mai with Shan youths, but it is necessary to conduct a comprehensive study by connecting the capital city of Bangkok, the most mobile city in Thailand, and the cities in Myanmar from which they migrated. This study focuses on Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, as a starting point. Considering that highly mobile young people will be the ones who will carry the future society, it is necessary to accurately grasp the trend of them moving to the central city of the country. This study contributes to the diversification of regional studies in Thailand by reexamining urban society from the perspective of Shan youths living in the central city of Thailand.

バンコクの市場で働くタイヤイの若者
A Shan youth working in a fresh market in Bangkok
バンコクにあるタイヤイの寺院(瞑想センター)で勉強する若者ら
Shan youths studying at a Shan temple (meditation center) in Bangkok