The Dynamics of Otherness and Constructing New Understandings of Isan Identity in Social Media

Abstract

This article investigates the dynamics of constructing and perceiving otherness in relation to Isan identity within contemporary Thai society, using Facebook as the primary site of analysis. The study aims to examine how Isan identity is represented, stigmatized, and contested in online spaces. Facebook has become a cultural arena where individuals continuously produce, share, and negotiate meanings of identity. Drawing upon the conceptual frameworks of otherness and cultural identity, Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), the findings reveal that Isan identity is predominantly represented through two major dimensions: (1) negative stigmatization, including economic stereotyping and dialect usage, and (2) positive affirmation, such as the presentation of mor lam performance culture, local cuisine, and pride in ancestral roots. Interactions on social media not only reflect regional tensions but also open up spaces for new understandings and the acceptance of cultural diversity within Thai society.