Social capital and clientelism : the case study of local districts in Thailand
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2011
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2554
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eng
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[x, 263] leaves : ill. ; 30 cm.
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
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National Institute of Development Administration. Library and Information Center
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On-Uma Rattanasripanya (2011). Social capital and clientelism : the case study of local districts in Thailand. Retrieved from: http://repository.nida.ac.th/handle/662723737/846.
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Social capital and clientelism : the case study of local districts in Thailand
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Abstract
In the era of globalization, the world has changed rapidly within a few years, and the changing complexion of civil society is incommensurable with the traditional life in each society. With this concern and the growing interest in administrative restructure in developing countries, many political scientists and economists have argued that social capital is an important determinant of economic development and of the functioning of institutions. Social capital has commonly been studied in recent years from the perspective of sociology and political science; however, social capital alone cannot explain all of the phenomena to which it has been related. Thus, much more needs to be known about how social capital is related to various affecting factors and what the indicators and benefits of social capital are. In this dissertation, the goal of the study was to explore empirically one particular concept of “social capital” concerning whether it really exists and through what indicators formed in Thai rural communities. Secondly, through different case studies it would be possible to identify the degrees of social capital in different subdistricts. Thirdly, within the political perspective the study will find out whether social capital benefits or affects the choice of local leadership. Finally, regarding the significant aspect of clientele practice in Thailand, the paper attempts to find out if there is a link between social capital and clientelism. The qualitative method in this study was designed to contribute to the understanding and explanation of social capital (trust, norms, and networks) applied in case study of the sub-districts in Thailand. Drawing on the available literature, the study attempts to explain the relevance of the determinants of social capital, sociocultural and socio-economic status, and clientelism relationships in the Thai context. The conclusion of this dissertation explains that the ability to access and mobilize the resources available through social ties is of equal importance to all villagers. Social capital in the Thai context at present is formed and affected by individuals’ moral constructs, history background, education, culture, and religion. The evidence found from the existent social networks consists of: operative working groups, community retail shops, the sujja-saving groups, the organic fertilizer groups, health volunteers, Kum protection groups, and village-broadcasting activities. The obvious evidence from village-level social and institutional dynamics, such as the number of participations in village activities and meetings, the frequency with which local leaders meet with residents, community activities and bridging (i.e. generalized) trust, lead to the indications of the social capital. The findings revealed that social capital in the Thai context includes several indicators: horizontal associations between people, consisting of social networks, trust, and solidarity, reciprocity and trust in neighbors, communication of information flow and locallybased community organizations. Social capital is able to generate benefits— community well-being, community empowerment, strong socio-economic status, rational collective goals, and more social cohesion/unity. Finally, the findings on the relation between social capital and clientelism are in between the transformation of the two concepts, as there were parallel evidence of both social capital and clientelism in the Thai context.
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Thesis (Ph.D. (Development Administration))--National Institute of Development Administration, 2011