DEVELOPING LOCAL ETHNOGRAPHIC RESEARCHERS TO INVESTIGATE CAREER SECURITY AND BETTER LIFE IN MOTHERLAND

Abstract

The purposes of this research were to form the local ethnographic researchers through a learning process related to the investigation of problems in an agricultural sector and develop community-based research projects leading to a solution for a career security and living better life in the motherland.  The participants were thirty-five (35) young ethnic hill tribes known as Karen, Lawa and Lahu from high lands in Chiang Mai and Mae Hong Son provinces. They were trained to have basic research skills starting from a study of problems on ‘career security’ and ‘well-being’ for people of 242 households in five (5) tribal villages. Research instruments included a foot map, a career survey, Non-structured interview.   In addition, a focus group discussion was also applied to encourage opinions relevant to the ‘better life’ concept.  Data were analyzed by mean of frequency counts, percentage, and content analysis. Findings revealed that the ethnographic groups in five (5) villages lacked of career security because there were no ‘land right documents’ for their agricultural areas. Moreover, their average annual incomes from agricultural sector were ranged between 40,000 - 80,000 baht which were not sufficient for living expenses. Community people solved their own problems depending on community’s cultural mechanism such as ‘rice bank activity’ and ‘rice donation’ to help needy families. All ethnographic groups in five (5) villages have common problems relevant to household’s environmental health and the lack of career and well-being development that responding to the community needs in the proper time. Based on the emerged problems, local researchers have been developed research proposals to investigate solutions towards ‘career security’ and ‘better life’ for their own communities by improving production systems that employed integrated farming connected to alternative markets which best suited to their production systems based on ‘good management’ with knowledge based and food safety responsibility consideration.