Isan Country Music Videos and Communication of New Isan Identities

Abstract

            The research Isan Country Music Videos and Communication of New Isan Identities is a qualitative research project designed to explain the process of the creation of the meaning and a new Isan identity as found in Isan country music videos disseminated on YouTube between 2015 and 2019. The attempt involves the interaction between the following three elements: (1) a contextual study of the changes in the context of the Isan region affecting the formation of the new Isan identity; (2) a textual study of 30  music videos covering such components as language, music, food and customs; and (3) a study of audience covering Isan members of Generation X and Generation Y population as “recipients of the Isan culture” to assess the extent of their perception of the meaning and new Isan identity. This approach makes use of the concepts of identity, localism, country music, music videos, cultural production and reproduction, and textual analysis. These concepts are used as analytical and interpretation tools regarding the process of the creation of the meaning and new Isan identity. The encoding/decoding concepts are also employed to analyse the patterns used by the recipients to decode the meaning of the texts, both image and vocal, presented in Isan country music videos.

           The finding shows that the Isan country music videos disseminated on YouTube between 2015 and 2019 all involve the creation of the meaning and new Isan identity using seven strategies. These are: (1) selection, (2) metonymy, (3) reductionism, (4) exoticism, (5) glocalization, (6) localization, and (7) collective identity marker identification. With regard to recipient decoding aspect, most recipients adopt a preferred reading approach and accept the meaning and new Isan identity as presented in and by Isan country music videos. Thus, this common agreement of the acceptable meaning and new Isan identity is due to the following factors. (1) The recipients consider that Isan music videos have reaffirmed and passed on the Isan-ness, thereby preventing it from oblivion. (2) Music videos can elevate the status of Isan-ness to a widely acceptable level. (3) Music videos present the Isan image in a new light, thereby bringing dignity to the Isan people. (4) Music videos build pride in the Isan identity, thereby fostering a collective Isan consciousness. And (5) the recipients understand that those music videos are created with business interests in mind. In addition, this study also brings to light Isan cultural norms and the fighting spirit of the Isan culture in the music video battlefield. It is a contemporary Isan society and it is Isan that has been accepted.