University of Massachusetts Amherst ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst Master's Capstone Projects Center for International Education 1997 Alternative Agriculture in Isan: A Way Out for Small-Scale Farmers Michael J. Goldberg Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umass.edu/cie_capstones Part of the Education Commons Goldberg, Michael J., "Alternative Agriculture in Isan: A Way Out for Small-Scale Farmers" (1997). Master's Capstone Projects. 150. Retrieved from https://scholarworks.umass.edu/cie_capstones/150 This Open Access Capstone is brought to you for free and open access by the Center for International Education at ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst. It has been accepted for inclusion in Master's Capstone Projects by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. ALTERNATIVE AGRICULTURE IN ISAN: A WAY OUT FOR SMALL-SCALE FARMERS A Thesis Presented by MICHAEL J. GOLDBERG Submitted to the Graduate School of the University of Massachusetts Amherst in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of MASTER OF EDUCATION May 1997 School of Education TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTERS I. INTRODUCTION 1 11. THAI DEVELOPMENT: THEORETICAL AND 3 EXPLANATORY CONSIDERATIONS A. Thai Society: A Marxist Perspective 4 B. Human Ecology 6 C. Political Economy 8 Ill. THAI HISTORICAL PROCESS: SOCIAL, ECONOMIC 9 AND POLITICAL CHANGE IN RURAL THAILAND A. Changing Landscape: The Opening of Thailand to 10 the World Market B. Welcome into the Fold: Isan is Incorporated into 13 the Thai State C. Cash Cropping in Isan: 1950's Onward 14 D. Contesting Alternatives 16 IV. TIME FOR CHANGE: A CONVERGENCE OF FACTORS 19 SUPPORT ALTERNATIVE AGRICULTURE A.