SOCIAL CAPITAL AND CLIENTELISM: THE CASE STUDY OF LOCAL DISTRICTS IN THAILAND On-Uma Rattanasripanya A Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Development Administration) School of Public Administration National Institute of Development Administration 2011 iii ABSTRACT Title of Dissertation Social Capital and Clientelism: the Case Study of Local Districts in Thailand Author Miss On-Uma Rattanasripanya Degree Doctor of Philosophy (Development Administration) Year 2011 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 sub- districts. 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 iv study attempts to explain the relevance of the determinants of social capital, socio- cultural 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 locally- based 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. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Although the accomplishment of a Ph.D. dissertation requires huge effort and patience from the student, lack of support from others makes it harder and sometimes impossible to achieve the destination. Without the great help and support from many people to whom I owe a debt of gratitude, I would not have reached this point. I would like to express my sincere thanks to everyone who helped me to complete this dissertation, but it is hard to name all of them in the short message here. However, I would like to let them know that even though their names are not shown in my short message, they will be in my heart and memory for their great help and support. First and foremost, my deepest appreciations go to Associate Professor Dr. Juree Vichit-Vadakan, my major advisor, who provided valuable advice on this dissertation as well as provided kindness and patience in reviewing and revising my dissertation to make it complete. I would like to express my thanks to Professor Dr. Supang Chantavanich for being my committee chairman and for presenting me with great support and valuable advice for my dissertation, and to Dr. Kanokkan Anukansai for being my committee member that provided me valuable advice during the process of the dissertation. All of the above have been a source of wonderful intellectual guidance and excellent professional advice at various stages of my graduate study, and have given me much encouragement along the way. Above of all, my distinctive gratitude also goes to all of my teachers who educated me since I was young, including my teachers from elementary school and high school who gave me the basic foundation to continue my higher education and to achieve it. Apart from my excellent teachers and advisors, my dissertation would never have succeeded without the help of all the participants in my study. I also would like to thank all of my siblings, my friends, and my colleagues who gave me enormous help on writing and field surveys. Without their great help and hard effort, my field survey may have been unable to meet the target. vi My special appreciation goes to my parents, who have always supported, encouraged, and stood by me both in good times and bad. I would like to thank my father for giving me my intellectual knowledge and training me in my reading skills since I was young, as well as my mother, who is my role model of patience and hard work. Without all of these excellent basic foundations they built in me, my Ph.D. graduation would have been impossible to accomplish. I realize that my Ph.D. graduation is the most valuable gift I can provide them in return for their dedication. On-Uma Rattanasripanya December 2011 vii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS v TABLE OF CONTENTS vii LIST OF TABLES ix LIST OF FIGURES x CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1 1.1 Statements of the Problem and Significance of Study 1 1.2 Objectives of the Study 4 1.3 Scope of the Study 5 1.4 Expected Contribution of the Study 6 1.5 Limitations of the Study 7 CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW 8 2.1 Social Capital 8 2.2 Clientelism 34 2.3 Poverty 43 2.4 Socio-Cultural Aspect 48 2.5 Concept of Socio-Economics 60 CHAPTER 3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 66 3.1 Research Method 66 3.2 Research Questions 68 3.3 Population and Case Studies 69 3.4 Data Collection 71 3.5 Data Analysis 85 3.6 Validity and Reliability 86 viii CHAPTER 4 CASE STUDIES OF SOCIAL CAPITAL AND 88 CLIENTELISM IN DIFFERENT SUB-DISTRICTS 4.1 Pilot-Test Fieldwork 88 4.2 Nong I Yo, Sanom, Surin Province 93 4.3 Ban Lao, Khamcha-I, Mukdahan Province 112 4.4 Nong Bua Tai, Si Bun Rueang, Nong Bua Lamphu 132 CHAPTER 5 ANALYSIS AND SYNTHESIS OF FINDINGS 149 5.1 Social Capital in the Thai Context 149 5.2 Thai Socio-cultural Factors Affecting Social Capital 171 5.3 The Influence of Socio-economic Status 175 5.4 Conclusion of the Findings on Social Capital 178 5.5 Decision Making on Choice of Local Leadership 189 5.6 Clientelism in the Thai Context 195 CHAPTER 6 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 197 6.1 Conclusion 197 6.2 Main Contributions to the Literature 226 6.3 Reflection on the Research Experience 227 6.4 Recommendations for Future Research 228 BIBLIOGRAPHY 229 APPENDICES 249 Appendix A Qualitative Question Guide 250 Appendix B List of Participants 258 Appendix C Pre-test—the Mode Analysis Results 262 BIOGRAPHY 264 ix LIST OF TABLES Tables Page 2.1 Ratio of Villagers Categorized by Income/Consumption 46 2.2 Poverty Line, Number of Poor, Head Count Index, Poverty Gap 48 Index, and Severity of Poverty in Thailand: 1994 – 2007 3.1 Sub-district (Tampon) for the Study 71 4.1 Population of Nong I Yo in 2010 95 4.2 List of Village Head 96 4.3 Population of Ban Lao in 2010 115 4.4 List of Village Head 116 4.5 Population of Nong Bua Tai in 2010 134 4.6 List of Village Head 135 6.1 Evidence of Social Capital in Studied Sub-districts 216 6.2 Degrees of Social Capital Among Case Studies 217 x LIST OF FIGURES Figures Page 2.1 A Circle of Affiliation Relationships in Thai Society 42 2.2 The Poverty Map Year 2002 46 3.1 Surin Map: Nong I Yo is a Sub-District located in Sanom 74 3.2 Mukdahan Map: Ban Lao a Local Sub-District Located in Khamcha-I 76 3.3 Nong Bua Lamphu Map: Nong Bua Tai a Local Sub-District 77 located in Si Bun Rueang 3.4 Mae Hong Son Map: Mae Sam Laeb a Sub-District 79 located in Sob Moei 4.1 Common Housing Style in Mea Sam Leab, 2010 91 4.2 Location of the Site: Nong I Yo 94 4.3 Household Areas of Key Informants in 11 Villages of Nong I Yo 103 4.4 Majority of Housing Styles in Nong I Yo, 2011 106 4.5 The Group Ordination Ceremony