Agricultural Change and Peasant Choice in a Thai Village

This study examines the agricultural practices and decision-making processes of a small Tai-Lue village in northern Thailand, focusing on the period from 1959 to 1961, with a follow-up visit in 1965. Conducted through anthropological fieldwork, the research involved living among villagers, learning their language, and participating in their daily life. The primary aim was to understand how villagers in Ban Ping made farming decisions, with a specific interest in their adoption of new agricultural technologies, such as tractors, which had significantly changed rice cultivation by 1960. By concentrating on the local, culturally-informed perspectives of the villagers, the study seeks to provide insights into the factors that influence farming choices within the community.

The analysis explores the complexities of farming decisions through two perspectives: rational decision-making processes related to technology and broader social factors tied to the village’s extracommunity relations. The methodological approach involves a detailed, systematic examination of how decisions were made in 1960, with subsequent insights from the 1965 field trip reserved for the study's final chapter to maintain the integrity of the initial analysis. By doing so, the research attempts to reveal the processes through which farmers select among different agricultural practices, emphasizing the importance of understanding localized decision-making in efforts to improve agricultural development and economic policies.

This work is intended not only for ethnographers studying agricultural practices but also for those involved in economic development, offering a grounded perspective on the technological and social dynamics of rural communities. The study reflects the author's engagement with development work in Thailand, drawing on experiences with various international and Thai organizations. The research benefits from the support of local Thai officials, community members, and academic institutions, whose cooperation made it possible to document the nuanced interactions between tradition, technology, and economic change in Ban Ping.

This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1968.