AN ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS OF Patsarin Ramwong for the degree of Master of Arts in Applied Anthropology presented on March 19, 2019 Title: Changing Mother-Daughter Relationships in Isan Rural Culture in the Context of Women’s Migration Abstract approved: ______________________________________________________ Nancy Rosenberger This thesis explores the changes in mother-daughter relations in Northeast Thailand over the last three generations in relation to migration out of this region. Qualitative interviews were done with ten families in two villages; the interviews focused on representatives of three generations of women in each family. In recent decades, in Northeast Thailand (also known as the Isan region) many people have left their hometowns because of economic hardship and agricultural instabilities to find economic opportunities. Rural people have become migrant laborers in Bangkok, regional areas, and overseas. In Northeast Thailand the kinship system is matrilineal and matrilocal, characterized by inheritance and care flowing particularly between mother and youngest daughter. Women are the core of the family system, playing an important role in the production activities of the household, trading, and religious rituals. Faced with modernity as they migrate, women change and force transformation in the family and rural villages. The thesis finds conditions of high debt, dependence on remittances, grandchild care by grandmothers, and diminishing landholdings. Although matrilineality continues, with the youngest generation, mother-daughter relationships have weakened in the areas of matrilocality and emotional closeness, but are maintained by remittances faithfully sent. ©Copyright by Patsarin Ramwong March 19, 2019 All Rights Reserved Changing Mother-Daughter Relationships in Isan Rural Culture in the Context of Women’s Migration by Patsarin Ramwong A THESIS submitted to Oregon State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Presented March 19, 2019 Commencement June 2019 Master of Arts thesis of Patsarin Ramwong presented on March 19, 2019. APPROVED: Major Professor, representing Applied Anthropology Director of the School of Language, Culture, and Society Dean of the Graduate School I understand that my thesis will become part of the permanent collection of Oregon State University libraries. My signature below authorizes release of my thesis to any reader upon request. Patsarin Ramwong, Author ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Anthropology changed my life. My first exposure that lead to my passion for Sociology and Anthropology studies happened in 2011 at Chulalongkorn University in Thailand. I came to believe that anthropological knowledge can change the world for the better. I would like to thank Dr. Chulanee Thianthai and Dr. Niti Pawakapan for providing guidance, encouragement, and support in pursuing anthropology studies in the United States. I considered them both my friends and my academic siblings. I would like to deeply thank and acknowledge Dr. Nancy Rosenberger who always provides support, encouragement, and patience with my English shortcomings. To me she is like a second mother in my American academic life. Without her support and encouragement, it would have been very difficult to reach the goal. I would also like to thank all the members of my committee; Dr. Sarah Cunningham, Dr. Jennifer Almquist, and Dr. Marta Maldonado, all of whom have provided valuable insights and contributions with keen interest in my research topic. My special gratitude goes to Dr. Joan Gross, for her valuable suggestions in advanced theory class that helped me improve my work tremendously. Thank you, all the lecturers, at Oregon State University throughout four years of my study in America that has helped me to learn and understand humans, culture and the beauty and importance of social diversity, equality, and dignity. My sincere thanks also goes to the ten families interviewed and other people in Dongdang and Nonkhong villages that gave me their stories of happiness and bitterness as poor farmers in this Isan rural setting. Above all else I thank them as people who deserve equal chances in economics, education and respect as fellow human beings. I would like to thank the Puyaibaan (head of village) from both villages who provided help and support, considering me as their distant relative Isan sister. I will always be grateful and wish that there may be some ways that I could repay their kindness. Thank you to all my friends in Thailand that have given me support throughout my study, calling me through FaceTime when they know that I was lonely or tired. Thank you to all my classmates in the faculty of Anthropology and Ctown people; Jason, Paddy, Berit, Max, Mike, Melanie, Andrey, Kirk, Yana, Misha, Kyle, Eva, Racheal, and Nitish. Time spent studying in classes and hanging out with them has become part of my cherished memories of the Oregon State campus. I want to deeply thank Dr. Nonrachit Jirasatthumb, Dr. Buapun Promphakping, and Dr. Bhanubhatra Jittiang for all of their advice throughout my academic study. Special thanks to Dr. Esteban Bowles-Martinez that helped me out in so many ways and was my friend. Thank you to Dr. Noyna Nopsiri Chaiyo, my best friend and surrogate sister in Oregon, who passed away too soon. I am so lucky to have met you and have you as a special person in my life, shaping me into the person that I am now, making me a better person. It was such an honor to be a part of her life. Deep gratitude to my grandmother Amnuay Whatcharakititada who supported my education abroad, believing in me that I can become a great teacher like she once was. Thank you to the Rungrojanaluck family that loved and adored me like one of their own daughters. I promise to take good care of your son. Above all else, I cannot find words that are good enough to describe how you completed me, thank you Ta who is my friend, my teacher, and my life partner, helping me tirelessly as you criticized, debated, and edited my work. I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart and thank you Corvallis that brought us together. Miracles do happen. Finally, my wholehearted and deepest thanks to my family who has given me everything. Thank you, my father and big brother that loved and supported me. Deep gratitude to my mother who is my everything. She has always been my role model, my friend and my academic advisor, always supporting me. If there really is a next life, I would like to be your daughter again. I don’t know if I can repay the love that my family has given me in this lifetime. Lastly, I would like to dedicate this work to the memory of my grandmother. Her life inspired me to study anthropology, through stories of the journey of my great-grandfather from China over 100 years ago to Isan region. The life stories of my great-grandfather, my grandmother and my mother have been my most valuable eternal inspiration. Only thanks will never be enough. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page 1 Introduction...……………………………………………………………………… 1 1.1 The thesis………………………………………………………………….1 1.2 Specific Aims and Significance…………………...………………………5 1.3 Research Questions and Research Objectives…….………………………8 1.4 Organization of the thesis.………………………………….……………..9 2 Literature Review.…………………………………………………….……………12 2.1 Introduction………………………………………………………………12 2.2 Development Discourse and Modernity……..…………………………..13 2.3 Isan Women’s Migration………………… ……………...………..…….19 2.4 Isan Family and migration………………………………………………..25 2.5 Concepts of Matrilocality and Matrilineality in Isan Culture……….…...27 2.6 Skipped Generation in Isan Region…………………………………...…30 2.7 Isan Women in Rural Community…………………………………….…32 3 Research Methodology…..………………………………..………………………36 3.1 Research Methods………………………………………………………..36 3.2 Choosing the selection sites …………………………………………..…38 3.3 Story of each village……………………………………………………...41 3.4 Sample selection………….………………………………….………...…43 3.5 Gathering data……………………………………………..……………..45 3.6 Data analysis method………………………. ………………………..….47 TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued) Page 3.7 Methodological Reflection……………………………………………48 4. Three Generations, Buddhism and the Role of Women……….……...…………..50 4.1 Isan Rural Women: Roles and Responsibility…………………………...50 4.2 Buddhism in Villages………………………………………………...…..56 4.3 Elder Mother as the Tradition and Knowledge Keeper…………….……60 4.3.1 The Wisdom of Heet-Sip-Song-Kong-Sip-Si…………….…....62 4.3. 2 Story of Srichard: Elder Mother……….……………………...64 4.4 Elder Mother, Middle-Aged Mother and Buddhism………………….…66 4.5 Young Daughter and Buddhism………………………………………….68 4.6 Look-Sao-La: the Isan Youngest Daughter……………………………....69 4.6.1 Look-Sao-La in Elder Mother and Middle-Aged Mother…..…70 4.6.2 Look-Sao-La in Younger Daughter……………………...…….72 4.7 Elder Mother and the Role in Household Economics……………..…..…72 4.8 Middle-Aged Mother and the Role in Household Economics…...………74 4.9 Young Daughter and the Role in Household Economics………..……....77 4.9.1 Story of Dawon: Middle-Aged Mother……………………..….78 4.9.2 Story of Aim: Young Daughter……………………………..….80 4.9.3 Story of Ja: Young Daughter…………………………….…….81 4.10 Conclusion…………………………………………………………..….83 5 Local Economy in Dongdnag and Nonkhong villages…………….……...…….....85 TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued) Page 5.1 Introduction………………………………………………………………85 5.2 Rice Culture………………………………………………………………88 5.3 Part-Time Jobs in Dongdang and Nonkhong village…………………….92 5.4 Remittance…………………………………………………….................96 5.5 Debt and Expenditure …………………………………………………..98 5.6 Rural Livelihood, and Economic