Love and Marriage: Mate Selection in Twentieth-Century Central Thailand

Description

The aim of this study is to examine in some detail the conventions of mate selection among various groups in Central Thailand from 1900 to the present. The study is based on three hypotheses. First, in Thai society, there is a diversity in conventions of mate selection rather than a uniformity. Hence, the study will focus on a comparison of mate-selecting methods among different social classes, between urban and rural populations, and between genders. Mate-selection customs also vary among different minorities. In the central plains, such as the Chinese and the Muslims. Here I prefer to limit the study to mate-selection practices among the Thai since another intensive study is needed for an understanding of these customs among these minorities. The mate-selection customs of different minorities will be discussed only to the extent that they have affected Thai customs. Second. from the beginning of the twentieth century, there has been a gradual increase in the degree of involvement of young people in selecting their own spouses. The traditional custom of parental or elder authority in choosing a mate for their offspring or dependents has been challenged by the rising individualism in a capitalist society. The modern clash of interest over spouse choice is also explained by Caldwell's theory that it results partially from a broader transformation of family relationships which occur with the spread of mass education and capitalist production. ISBN:9789746326384