Social Movements and Communication Strategies of the Civil Society in Chiang Mai Province

Abstract

This article presents social movements of the Civil Society in Chiang Mai province in utilizing communication strategies and Lanna cultural identity. The case study for this analysis is “the We Love Doi Suthep Network”, which was the latest movement of the civic sector in the province. The concepts, research studies, and literature related to social movements of the Civil Society and non-governmental organizations were applied in order to analyze and explain the phenomenon. The study findings revealed that leaders of the civic sector are usually from non-governmental organizations. The movement issues are commonly related to environmental and cultural conservation. There have been large networks collaborating with one another for a long time, consisting of the public and private sectors, educational institutions, non-governmental organizations, and the mass media. Nevertheless, it was revealed from the latest movement that the use of social networks enabled a large number of people to participate, especially the middle class, whereas few grass-roots individuals participated, and the number of participants dwindled with time. The middle class participated mostly through social networks. Regarding the use of Lanna cultural identity, beliefs and religions via social networks and activities, it was found that they could attract the middle-aged middle class the most. However, fewer young generations, particularly students, participated due to their more urban lifestyle and some middle class individuals migrated from other areas or regions, making communication strategies based on Lanna cultural identity a distant issue. For this reason, the use of social networks and Lanna cultural identity to communicate with all groups is not always effective. It is recommended that the Civil Society add other aspects of information appropriate to particular demands. Communication strategies suitable for behavior of a target group should be emphasized in an attempt to attract more participation in order to ultimately achieve desirable demands.