An Analytical Study of the Cultural Values of the Bun Bang Fai Festival in Ban Phon Subdistrict, Kham Muang District, Kalasin

Abstract

The objectives of this thesis were (1) to study the concepts and theories concerning values and traditions; (2) to investigate the Bun Bang Fai Festival in Ban Phon Subdistrict, Kham Muang District, Kalasin Province; and (3) to analyze the cultural values embedded in the Bun Bang Fai Festival of Ban Phon Subdistrict, Kham Muang District, Kalasin Province. This study employed a qualitative research approach integrating documentary research and field research. Field data were collected through in-depth interviews with fifteen key informants selected by purposive sampling. The informants were divided into three groups: five Buddhist monks serving as spiritual leaders, five community leaders and local entrepreneurs, and five local residents actively involved in the festival. Data were analyzed using descriptive and analytical methods based on a conceptual framework consisting of five dimensions of cultural values: psychological value, economic value, social value, local political and administrative value, and cultural transmission and preservation value. Each dimension was further interpreted through three levels of value: intrinsic value, social value, and universal value. The findings revealed the following 1) Concepts and Theories of Traditional Values: Tradition refers to a pattern of behavior, practices, and customs that are collectively accepted and transmitted from one generation to another, thereby becoming part of a society’s cultural heritage. Value, on the other hand, refers to desirable qualities, principles, or standards that individuals and societies regard as meaningful and worthy, serving as guidelines for behavior and ways of life. Values can be categorized into three levels: intrinsic value, social value, and universal value. 2) The Bun Bang Fai Festival of Ban Phon Subdistrict: The Bun Bang Fai Festival, locally known as the Phraewa Rocket Festival, represents a distinctive cultural heritage of the Phu Thai ethnic community. The festival integrates indigenous beliefs with the traditional wisdom of Phraewa silk weaving, which constitutes a significant economic and social foundation of the community. Historically, the festival evolved from a rainmaking ritual associated with the belief in Phaya Thaen, the deity of rain and fertility, into a Buddhist merit-making tradition. In contemporary society, it has further developed into a form of creative cultural capital that utilizes Phraewa silk as a symbolic medium for expressing and promoting the cultural identity of the community. 3) The Cultural Values of the Bun Bang Fai Festival in Ban Phon Subdistrict, Kham Muang District, Kalasin Province: The festival embodies cultural values across five dimensions. (1) Psychological Value: It serves as a source of spiritual support, fostering faith, morale, and a sense of attachment to ancestors and community identity. (2) Economic Value: It stimulates local economic circulation and distributes income among various occupational groups through networks of social relationships, reciprocity, and community generosity. (3) Social Value: It functions as a mechanism for strengthening social cohesion, fostering intergenerational relationships, and maintaining communal norms without reliance on formal coercion. (4) Local Political and Administrative Value: It provides a participatory arena for leadership development and community involvement in local decision-making processes. (5) Cultural Transmission and Preservation Value: It serves as a medium for transmitting indigenous knowledge, language, oral traditions, and the poetic expressions of the Phu Thai people from one generation to the next. The perspectives expressed by all three groups of key informants were highly consistent, indicating that these values genuinely exist and remain deeply rooted in the everyday life and cultural practices of the community.