From the Suburb Communities to Capitalist Urbanism: The Case Study of Nonthaburi Area

Abstract

In the midst and the current situation of development focusing on city as development center which represent modernity, urban area functions as a diverse people’s conditioned way of life reflection in which they have to adapt themselves accordingly. Academically, the study of city has very wide scope related in various dimension including in anthropological study. The study of city as the area of different cultural relations which are mingling together in the transitional period of such development is thus an interesting point. By using urban Macro-Ethnography, Participant and Non-Participant Observation including in-depth and informal interview while conducting fieldwork in some suburbs of Nonthaburi city as an example, this article aims to explain urban development phenomena related to the diverse cultural dimension. The expansion of urban fringe, the construction of social space and public area are used as a conceptual framework. It is in order to revise the policy of urban development and potentials which should pay more attention to people development and environmental concern especially the physical development which is relevant to people’s way of life pertaining to the sustainable urban development in the 21st century of Thai suburbs context.