Journal of Anthropology, Sirindhorn Anthropology Centre (JASAC)

Tasting Fame: The Role of Celebrity Chefs in Transforming Gastronomy

Piyarat Panlee — 2024-10-31

This article examines the complex interplay between food, celebrity culture, and culinary authority through an anthropological perspective. The emergence of celebrity chefs has profoundly influenced the culinary world, shaping societal perceptions and affecting consumer behavior and food culture. By analyzing the roles of key figures, the article demonstrates how celebrity chefs extend beyond their culinary skills to become cultural icons capable of setting trends and standards in gastronomy. The article is structured into three parts: the first introduces the concepts of food culture, eating culture, and gastronomy; the second investigates the influence of celebrity culture on the culinary field, and the third explores the power dynamics and cultural impact of celebrity chefs in contemporary gastronomy. The article concludes by underscoring the significant role of celebrity chefs in transforming culinary practices and public engagement with food, positioning them as pivotal figures in the modern culinary landscape.

Tai Dan Kitchen: “Space” and “Experience”

Ekarin Phungpracha — 2024-10-31

The main objectives of this article are to: 1) examine how the Tai Dan kitchen is conceived in social and cultural contexts; and 2) provide an anthropological perspective on the Tai Dan kitchen that emphasizes the relationship between “people” and “kitchen.” As part of the research methodology, in-depth interviews and participatory observation are carried out, and documentation on topics pertaining to kitchen anthropology—more especially, Tai Dan food and kitchen—is synthesized. The study area is a village, an agricultural community, in Dan Sai District, Loei Province. It boasts a diverse range of food resources and a unique culture, particularly with regard to cooking and eating customs. The results of the study indicate that Tai Dan kitchen is significant not only in terms of its physical significance but also as a pivot for experience. The earliest stages of food preparation are shown, when “people” and “kitchen” are interchangeable. It also reflects the politics of social relations: gender roles, meal planning, and socialization. In addition, it contributes to comprehends the food resources, eating and cooking, and ways of life.

Challenging Stereotypes: Understanding Drinking Cultures Among the Urban Poor

Boonlert Visrtpricha — 2024-10-31

This research article proposes the drinking cultures among the urban poor through the lens of critical medical anthropology, analyzing behaviors within structural conditions. The study employs formal interviews and participant observation with drinkers, including slum dwellers and industrial workers. The findings reveal three key insights. First, the drinking patterns among the urban poor are diverse. Some drink moderately every day, others only on weekends, while a segment engages in heavy daily drinking. Second, drinkers cite hedonism, stress relief after work, and social bonding as primary reasons for drinking. These reasons challenge the stereotype that the poor drink solely due to stress, creating a cycle of poverty and alcohol dependence. Drinkers employ neutralization techniques, asserting that their alcohol expenses are manageable, and view drinking as less harmful than drug use. Third, heavy drinking among the urban poor is closely linked to structural conditions. In terms of working conditions, physical labor leads to drinking as a coping mechanism for bodily pain, increasing the risk of long-term alcohol dependence. Socioeconomic status and opportunities for upward mobility are significant factors influencing drinking behaviors.

The Politics of Promoting the Tai Ethnic Minority Language in North-Central Vietnam

Achariya Choowonglert — 2024-10-31

The state plays a crucial role in determining language policy, but in practice, it can adopt various measures to either promote or suppress minority languages. On the one hand, state language policy has a profound impact on the status and survival of minority languages. On the other hand, it is also a political means of controlling and assimilating minority groups. This article attempts to unveil the politics of promoting the Tai language, a minority language in Thanh Hóa Province, north-central Vietnam. Applying the conceptual framework of minority language politics and ethnographic fieldwork conducted in 2016, 2019 and 2023, this article argues that despite the Vietnamese government's policy of promoting minority languages, the measures and regulations for implementing the policy are often characterized by control and suppression of linguistic diversity, and are infused with nationalist, communist party, and Kinh (Vietnamese) cultural ideologies. Moreover, the state has been using a decade-long program of training local state officials in minority languages as a political tool to centralize local governance. However, while the central government benefits from this program, local scholars also gain academic and professional benefits by networking with local intellectuals and state officials. Local state officials find it easier to work with the Tai ethnic group even if they cannot speak the Tai language. Furthermore, this study illuminates the complex interplay between state language policies and local community responses. The findings reveal that local intellectuals have strategically utilized this process to negotiate and mitigate the impact of standardized Thai orthography on local writing systems, reflecting concerted efforts to preserve linguistic identity. Additionally, this engagement has fostered a sense of pride in the language and culture of the Tai community, underscoring the intricate dynamics of language policy implementation and its socio-cultural implications in ethnolinguistically diverse contexts.

Sexuality and the Liberated Ones in Theravāda Buddhism

Sumalee Mahanarongchai — 2024-10-31

This research article studies the types of sexuality compatible with the lifestyle of liberated persons in Buddhism; asexual, romantic-asexual, and aromantic-asexual. The study reveals that the first two classes of liberated persons; the stream-enterer (Sotāpanna) and the once-returner (Sakadāgāmī), have sexuality like common people. Their sexuality found in Buddhist scriptures is monosexual as well as heterosexual. The non-returner (Anāgāmī) who still clings to some subtle form or fine-material existence can be interpreted as having sexuality. Their sexuality is asexual along with romantic type. The non-returner who clings to some formless existence can be interpreted as having sexuality. Their sexuality is asexual along with aromantic type. The fully liberated ones (Arhats) cannot be determined as having sexuality because their mind-pattern is peculiar and supports non-sexuality. The arhats do not have sexuality. But having no sexuality does not mean having no attraction toward others. The arhats can have some kinds of attraction that are not derived from the drive of sexuality.

Editorial Note

Narupon Duangwises — 2024-10-31

(Book Review) ธรรมชาติสถาปนาการอนุรักษ์สิ่งแวดล้อมในสมัยของทุน

พงศ์ปกรณ์ วานิช — 2024-10-31

(Book Review) นิเวศวิทยาแนวสตรีนิยม

ปุณยนุช ณ นคร — 2024-10-31