เอกสารการประชุมวิชาการและเสนอผลงานวิจัย มหาวิทยาลัยทักษิณ ครั้งที่ 19 2552 - page 8

การประชุมวิ ชาการและเสนอผลงานวิจัย มหาวิ ทยาลัยทักษิ ณ ครั้งที่ 19 ประจำป 2552
This introduction to research for southern Thailand suggests some different approach
than simply copying what is done elsewhere. A cursory examination of research that defines the
South – that is, research that is not the same as what occurs elsewhere in Thailand, the region and the
world – suggests such matters as community relationships, religious co-existence, border porosity
and cultural history. For a university seeking to define its future place in research, these same factors
can orient research and graduate training in all disciplines. To take but one example – aspects of
animal husbandry might include reference to cultural, historical, climatic and other specificities
of the south, such as in the case of fighting bulls being linked to Portuguese influences, linguistic
specificities, traditional ruminant nutritional supplements and gender relationships among other
factors.2
At present while there is some fine social, agricultural and natural resource science, most
seems to mirror approaches taken elsewhere in Thailand. And most of it is difficult to access
outside Thailand. The choice of research subjects seem to be set by mainstream Thai interests
or a Western orientation in researchers. Some might interpret this to imply that the south
of Thailand is or will become similar to other parts of Thailand, and that values of educated
persons are superior to traditional approaches. Such a reliance on the imported model of
centrally planned and funded research and also development policy is a burden to non-OECD
countries. It results from foreign ideas becoming the dominant approaches in government,
and influential professionals having a Western orientation through their education, whether it is from
a Thai university or elsewhere. This is not a new observation, and in fact is simply an expression
of inevitable globalisation. However, in my opinion it is not a reasonable situation to accept.
Why? If the reason is not obvious
it indicates the gravity of importing only
partial systems from richer countries. Dr
Charan3 and I have written on this subject
in terms of economics, pointing out that
the so-called economic development
policies of many countries, such as Thai-
land, take only part of the economic model
and neglect both its philosophical under-
pinnings and its recognition of intangible
values. Likewise, rote following of theWestern research approach can lead to inappropriate outcomes.
2 จรัญ จันทลักขณา และ ผกาพรรณ สกุลมั่น (บรรณาธิการ). 2543. วัวชนกับคนใต. อักษรสยามการพิมพ,กรุงเทพฯ.
352 หนา.
3Charan Chantalakhana and Lindsay Falvey (2008) Sufficiency Economy: An Approach for Smallholder
Agricultural Development to Enhance Peace and Stability. Keynote Paper Presented to the Asian-Australasian
Association of Animal Production, Hanoi.