RESEARCH REPORT NO. 12-13 "The study of Social Influences on the Development of Thai Children in the Villages of Ban Pranmuen and U-Meng" by Chancha Suvannathat, Niyom Khumnuenmasog Ladtongbai Bhuapirom, Tahwon Koedkietpong (1969) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE OF THE STUDY This study attemped to investigate and analyse the social structures of the two villages Ban Pranmuen in the North-East and Ban U-Meng in the North. The investigation consisted of two main parts. The first part focused onphysical and social structures economics systems, families, kinships, beliefs, values and religious practices of the villagers. It also compared and contrasted their ways of life in order to see how these factors in fluence or affect the children. For the second part of the study, the emphasis was on studying the patterns of child rearing and their relationship to the child’s school achievement and social adjustment. Then it compared the mothers in these two villages in their ways of bringing up their children. METHODOLOGY In this study, the members of the research team were divided into two groups, the village group and the school group; they worked together closely. The village group was concerned with the studying of village life, i.e., the social structure, the household background. Economics, religious beliefs and practices, etc. This group used three forms of interviewing schedules: (1) household composition, (2) religious practices and other ceremonies, (3) socioeconomic structure of the family. Besides, the researchers observed and recorded all the activities of the villagers in their mariage ordinary daily life and in special occasions such as marriage, ordination, and cremation. Some case studies were also done, including informal individual interviews with a number of villlagers in order to get the information as much and as deep as possible. There were 149 households in Ban Pranmuen and 154 in Ban U-Meng out of which 80 and 86 households were selected respectively as the samples for intensive study. The school group studied a sample of forty-seven first graders in Ban Pranmuen, and sixty-six first graders in Ban U-Meng, their parents, teachers of the grade, and their peers. The study was mainly focused on patterns of child rearing and their relationship with the child’s school achievement and social adjustment. The data were obtained by interviewing the mothers of the first grade children about child rearing prachtices. The interaction between the child and hisschool environment was also studied by means of interviewing the teachers as well as the child’s peers together with observing the child’s behavior in learing and playing situations. FINDINGS The following findings are presented in two parts. Part I presents findings regarding the villages’ physical and social structures, economic systems, families, kinships, beliefs, vales and religious practices. Part II presents findings related to patterns of child rearing as practiced by the mothers of the two villages. Research Report No.12 (Part I) COMPARISON OF PHYSICAL AND SOCIAL STRUCTURES BETWEEN TWO VILLAGES -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Geographically, there are some differences between the two villages, Ban pranmuen is an isolated village; it is a long journey to reach other villages. The district office is 17 kilometers distant. The investigators found that the road was very poor and there were few vehicles. The social interaction with outsiders was rather limited. On the other hand, Ban U-Meng was surrounded by other villages; there were roads which could be used all year around by cars and bicycles. The intercommunication with other villages and with the district office was better than that of Ban Pranmuen. Besides, the villagers of U-Meng could bring vegetables and other goods to the district market every morning and carry food and other necessities back to their homes. The social relations with outsiders and news and the know-how from the mass media put the villagers in a better position. Another significant difference concerned the water supply. In Ban Pranmuen water was scarce. There were few wells in the village. In summer some of the wells were dry: the villagers had to for to fetch water. They were very careful about water. Agriculture depended on rain. Ban U-Meng was different; nearly every household had a well of its own. There were three extra public wells with hand pumps. There was also a very good system of irrigation. Crops could be grown the whole year. The construction of the houses in both villages is similar. Mostly the houses are wooden of one storey about 2 – 3 meters above the ground. The main house is usually divided into one or two bedrooms with a veranda as sitting room. The kitchen is apart from the main house. Houses in U-Meng are superior in construction to those of Ban Pranmuen, and generally kept cleaner. Social structures of the two villages, such as the Wats (temple), the schools, the families, marriage kinship system and inheritance were also found similar. The Wat (temple) was the center for religious services and other activities. The Wats (temple) and the schools were interdependent and could not be separated. Most of the families were of nuclear type and tended to build their houses in the same compound or near relative. Marriage was monogamous. Inheritance was bilateral and there was a tendency in both villages that the youngest daughters stay with the parents and inherit the house and the household compound. Kinship was large. This is typical for the rural area of Thailand. Social organization, such as ways of living, cooperation, and political organization, was similar in both villages. Ways of living were simple, mores and coustoms, the major social control of behaviour. Social problems, such as crime and deviant behaviour, were rare. Everyone knew everyone ellse so that there was good cooperation in their occupations, religious ceremonies and all other activities. Although there were village headmen as representatives of the Government to use power and autohority, villagers lived in peaceful harmony as kin. On the Economic side, rice-growing as the main occupation. But in Ban Pranmuen when farming season was over, villagers earned extra money by selling sugar from the palm trees and weaving mats from a kind of weed. In U-Meng, they cultivated soya bean, garlic and onion, which gave them a rather large sum of money. ECONOMICS Ban Pranmuen is a village on the plateau of the Northeast where water is scarce. Farming can be done only once in a year depending on the rain. The research team observed very little or no agriculture in summer because of lack of water. The annual yield of rice in Ban Pranmuen was lower than that of Ban U-Meng. This was one of the reasons that people in Ban Pranmuen were poorer than those in Ban U-Meng. It could be said that Ban Pranmuen had onlysubsistence economy. Besides farming, there were minor earnings from making charcoal, salt, mats, small shop at home. Ban U-Mang is situated in the valley of the mountains where the soil is fertile. Besides rice farming, villager can grow sova beans, onions and garlic all year round with the help of the annual rian and the irrigation system. It was evident to the research team that economics in Ban U-Meng attained a high level. MARRIAGE If we take traditions and customs about marriage into account, we can say that marriage in Ban U-Meng was simpler than in Ban Pranmuen. In Ban Pranmuen Marriage procedure began by sending a representative (usually an elderly person of good prestige) to the parents of the bride to settle the bride-price and toher necessities of the marriage. When everything was settledit was the duty of the future groom to find a “good day” for the marriage ceremonies. In Ban U-Meng there were no marriage ceremonies in a strict sense. When a girl reached puberty and was ready to be married, there would be a number of males to court her at her house at night. Thai was an old custom which still prevailed. The courting would go on until one was chosen as a “lover” and permanent guest of the house; the others would withdraw. There was a difference concerning the residence of the married couples. In Ban Pranmuen it was a custom that the newly married must stay with the bride’s parents for a certain time. But it Ban U-Meng there was no rule abuot residence; the couples could stay with either side or on theire own. INHERITANCE It can be siade that in both villages’ inheritance is bilateral; that is, real siblings have equal right in the properities of their parent. Ban U-Meng had this type of inheritance from the beginning of their settlement while Ban pranmuen began it only recently. In Ban Pranmuen in former days, when a daughter married she remained with the parents, so she usually inherited the properties; the sons when married always stayed with the wife’s parents and earned their living using land of their own. At that time there was plenty of land without any owners so that one could claim ownership easily. But when no land was left, the sons had to seek help from their parents and in 1961, we found that both sons and daughters inherited bilaterally. WAT (TEMPLE) In Thailand, the Wat (temple) is one of the most important institutions. The life of the Thai people, customs, traditions, and culture come from the Wat and tied to the Wat. The Wat is not only the place for religious activities such as making merit to the monks, listening to the preachings of Buddha and seeking peace and clmness of mind; the Wat is also the central place for other activities of the villages such as ordination, cremation, yearly festivals, and various amusements of the villagers. The Wat is also a place for education because there is always a school in or near the Wat. OTHER RITUALS It is difficult to form a clear-cut view of which are religious rited and which are not. This is due to the fact that the beliefs of people come from many different sources, e.g., the supernatural, abstract forces, magic and religion. These beliefs are merged in a person from these several sources. These rituals can be divided roughly into two categories; one concern rice farming and the other “rites of passage” accompanying the individual’s “life crisis.” The rite concerning rice-farming has been practiced by all farmers of Thailand for a long time. Its purposeis to ask for help from the supernatural powers such as magic formulas, spirits of all kinds, charms and spells as well as gods and goddesses in order that the annual yields will be good and abundant. Research Report No.13 (Part II) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ATTIUDE TOWARD PREGNANCY To bear children is viewed by the Ban Pranmuen and the Ban U-Meng mothers as a desirable and natural part of life. First children are welcomed with greatest enthusiasm. A childless couple is considered unfortunate: then adoption could be sought. In the matter of sex preference, sons are greatly prefered to daughters for a number of resons. The Ban Pranmuen mothers preferred to have boys because boys who become novices or monks will be able to accrue the greatest amount of merit for their parents and become the bearers of the family continuity. For the Ban-U Meng mothers, sons are considered as potential farm hands, to case their hard work. Thus, on the whold, children are a source of security for both Ban Pranmuen and Ban U-Meng parents, particularly during old age. PREGNANCY AND BIRTH PROCESS Most pregnant women in Ban Pranmuen and Ban U-Meng did all of their regular work up to the time of delivery but in Ban U-Meng they were more careful not to strain themselves and not to lift heavy objects. During pregnancy, most women in these two villages observed a number of practices and diet restriction which they believed would make the delivery easier. Nowadays birth almost always takes place in a hospital but in the villages of Ban Pranmuen and Ban U-Meng the researchers found the the pregnant women still prefered to have their babies delivered at home rather than at the hospital. The main reason was because the husbands, relatives and midwife were available for assisting in the birth and largely, for moral suport. In case of delivery complications they might go to the hospital, but only as a last resort. After the birth, the mother in Ban pranmuen must lie near the fire (Yu kam or Yu fire) for a certain odd number of days, like 7, 9, 11, or 15 days, etc. But Ban U-Meng mothers are not allowed to go outside the room for a month (Yu duan) As for food of the mothers in these two villages, normally during the first week they cat glutinous rice with salt until the confinement ends. Also, they take special medicine to enrich the blood and to prevent dizziness. NURSING AND WEANING Breast feeding is the normal practice in the villages of Ban Pranmuen and Ban U-Meng. All of the sampled mothers in these two villages breast-fed their children. They considered the mother’s milk the best for the child, with less danger of infection. Moreover, breast feeding is more economical. The reasons for weaning reported by the mothers are failure of the milk supply and beginning of next pregnancy. The data revealed very few difficulties experienced by the mothers in connection with weaning. Most of the mothers put some bitter or hot substances on their nipples which. It was said, is very iffective in discouraging the children’s attempts to nurse. Eventhought this kind of weaning technique seems serere and caused strong reactions from the children, the mothers were found to be very understanding and gentle in handling their children’s reactions. TOILET TRAINING Another event in the child’s life is elimination trainging. The primary aim of such training is to teach the child to be neat and clean and to develop healthy habits. The majority of Ban Pranmuen and Ban U-Meng mothers. Started training bowel and bladder control when the child was six months to one year of age. The data revealed clearly that most of the mothers used no pressure at all in traning their children’s climination problem and reported their success in training them. DEMANDS ON PHYSICAL MOVEMENT The majority of the Ban Pranmuen mothers and all the Ban U-Meng mothers carefully watch their children’s physical activities. They must guard them from danger. Within the limits of their knowledge the mothers must care for the children’s health, them from doing things that would end in injury, and prevent them from destroying their belongings. The data, however, revealed that the sampled Ban U-Meng mothers were more restrictive on the children’s movements than the Ban Pranmuen mothers due to the more dangerous physical surroundings in the former. CONTROL OF AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR All of the sampled mothers in Ban Pranmuen and Ban U-Meng realize the importance of trainging children to control their behavior. Physical or verbal aggression is strongly disapproved and punished when it occurs. Directing anger at one’s parents or older relatives constitutes a form of irreverence and ingratitude. Obedience, respect for authority and seniority are also stressed in socializing the child to inhibit aggressive behavior. Whenever the child manifests aggression toward aged people, physical punishment or threats of beating are used at once. SEX TRAINING The Ban Pranmuen and Ban U-Meng mothers had negative attitudes toward sex and sex matters. Sex is generally not a topic of nonintimate and non-family conversation. It is a delicate subject and a private concern. In this respect, the mothers of these two villages are aware of the importance of sex trainging in connection with modesty and ex inhibition. With respect to sex information including knowledge about the process of reproduction, the sampled mothers in Ban Pranmuen and Ban U-Meng feel that the children of the pre-school age are not ripe for such knowledge. They also believe their children can find out the information themselves when they are older PARENTS ATTIUDES TOWARD CHILDREN’S EDUCATION AND VOCATION. The sampled parents in the two villages realized the importance of education. They expected their children to have as much education asthey could financially afford. It is noteworthy that these parents never thought of other factors such as aptitude and motivation ---which could affect their children’s ability to continue their education. Most of the parents in these two villages felt that the subjects taught in the school (Grad 1-4) are essential for the children to live a good life in the community. CHANGES IN GHILD REARING PRACTICES AS VIEWED BY THE MOTHERS IN THE TWO VILLAGES. The sampled mothers in Ban Pranmuen and Ban U-Meng generally reared their children as their mothers before them. Two major problems concerning their ways of bringing up children were mentioned. The child’s sickness was one of the important problems which affected their financial situation. Another kind of problem which confronted the mothers was the boys’ deviant behavior and the girls misbehavior in relation to sex matters. SUMMARY OF CONCLUSIONS The first part of this study described social structures of two villages in Thailand to see how these influence or affect children. The second part of the study focused on child-rearing practices in these villages and their relationship to children’s school achievement and social adjustment. RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SOCIAL STRUCTURES AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT It seemed to the researchers that the various customs and rites described in the first part of the study combined as a social environment which seemed very favorable to the children, both socially and at achool. The chief values of the village societies appear to be (a) Great tespect for authority and for the wisdom which accrues with increasing years of experience, with appropriate obedience toward those in positions of authority and or superior age. (b) Non-aggression, maintenance of pleasant interpersonal relationships. (c) Gratitude which meant a sense of warmth and obligation toward human benefactors. Also, this sense of warmth and obligation is extended to what is found in nature, for example, gratitude toward rice. The child is already inculcated with these values when he enters school. The values of the school are consonant with those taught earlier in the home. For example, the children, arrive prepared to look up to and obey the teacher, so their behavior usually matches the teacher’s expectations. Therefore, there is little of the “cultural discontinuity” that the noted anthropologist, Ruth Benedict has described in various other societies. On the whole, the researchers felt that the school environment meshed smoothly with those of the home and the village in general to provide a good life for Thai village children in their total environment. RELATIONSHIP OF CHILD-REARING PRACTICES TO SOCIAL ADJUSTMENT AND SCHOOL ACHIEVEMENT The method of paired comparisons was used. Each child in the sample was rated high, average or low in (a) social adjustment and (b) school achievement. Correlations between the two dimensions were very strong. That is, Children rated high in adustment were nearly always high achievers in school as well, and so forth. This result was confirmed by using sociometric studies with the same group of children. However, no significant differences were found between speific child-rearing practices employed by the mothers of the high, average and low-rated groups. In fact, it seemed to the researchers that very similar child-rearing practices were used by all the reporting mothers. Regarding what factors might account for differences between children in social adjustment and school achievement, the researchers could only hypothesize that individual differences in the personalities of the mothers or intrinsic, constitutional differences among children might be causal. However, these studies were not designed to measure such factors. The studies took place over a period of six months in each of these two villages. A morelongitudinal study using additional instruments (such as personality inventories, intelligence tests, etc) might reveal differences in home background and children’s aptitudes, which were not apparent under the limitations of the investigation reported here. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SWUHOMEPAGEBack to Behavioral Science Research Institute