Methodology
This study drew on both quantitative and qualitative methods to examine the conditions of the natural settings and the cross-sectional research design was conducted to get the depth information.
Populations and samples
1.Buddhists residing in the communities located in the bordering zones which included totally 224,986 households. These were 123,986 households in Muang District, Phayao Province, Thailand, and 101, 000 households from Luang Phrabang, Laos PDR. The samples were 798 households which included 399 families from each country.
2. The monk teachers in Phayao Muang District, Phayao Province,Thailand and in Luang Phrabang, Laos PDR. These monk teachers must have the following qualifications: being famous for teaching strategic approach Buddhism, being respected by the community residents, and being the religious personnel who understand the people’s participation. There were 25 samples from Thailand and 14 monks from Laos PDR, which were totally 39 samples.
3.The officers in the organizations related to the strategic approach Buddhism in Muang District, Phayao Province, Thailand and Luang Phrabang, Laos PDR. These people must have the following qualifications: being the people who organize religious activities work in the religious organizations. There were 25 people from Thailand and 14 people from Laos PDR, which were totally 39 samples.
Instruments
The instruments for data collections consisted of:
1.Qualitative instruments. These instruments were used to collect the quantitative data which included: a series of questionnaires on the people’s participation in strategic approach Buddhism of the communities located in the bordering zones between Thailand and Laos PDR. This series of questionnaire was developed from the key informant questionnaires and the question items are responsive to the related literature reviews and the measurement criteria and definitions of the studied variables. The questions are in close-ended questions and open-ended questions in both Thai and Laotian versions.
2.Qualitative instruments. The data instruments consisted of observations, interviews and daily notes.
Data Analysis
1.Quantitative data were analyzed as follows. The data on people’ s participation were analyzed by descriptive analysis drawing the statistical formulae: frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, t-test and F-test. For the testing of hypotheses, the stratified regression analysis was used.
2.Qualitative data were analyzed as follows. The data from notes were analyzed by content analysis. These data were collected through ethnographic method and they were recorded since the researcher began working in the field till the final stage of field work. Moreover, the analysis process was also used with interview data from the key informants. They data were analyzed while the researcher was collecting them. The results of the analysis were used to revise the concepts and information accuracy, coding, categorization, and data reduction. The data were re-checked to confirm the results with triangulation technique by interviewing the household heads, monk teachers and the officers from the related Buddhism organizations before presenting and reporting the research results.
Summary
The strategic approach Buddhism patterns in Thailand appeared in 3 categories with 15 patterns as follows. Category I: Buddhism Teaching which consist of : 1) writing books, 2) Dhamma lectures, 3) Vipassana mediation practice based on “Four Foundations of Mindfulness, 4) radio program broadcasting, and 5) giving consults; Category II: Welfare Education which include: 6) studying Buddhism on Sunday, 7) Pariyattidhamma Schools (Education for Priests), local cultural and art preservation, 9) Ton Kla Youth Club (Young Plant Club), 10) educational institutions; Category III: Public Welfares which include: 11) forest preservation, 12) social development, 13) herbal medication production, 14) savings, and 15) religious respected people cooperation.
The strategic approach Buddhism patterns in Laos PDR appeared in 3 categories with 9 patterns as in the followings. Category I: Buddhism Teaching which include: 1) teaching Buddhism through mass media, for example, radio and television programs; 2) providing training on Buddhism lessons through the Youth Buddhism Club, 3) writing Buddhism books, 4) setting up Vipassana mediation center; Category II: Welfare Education which include: 5) setting up Pariyattidhamma Schools (Education for Priests), 6) preserving cultures and arts; Category III: Public Welfares which include: 7) preserving the forests which are the resources of water sources, 8) promoting social development, and 9) cooperating with the religious respected people.
The people’s participation in the strategic approach Buddhism of the communities located in the bordering zones between Thailand and Laos PDR appeared that the participation patterns comprise: teaching Buddhism, welfare education, and public welfares. The details of these are presented as follows.
The people’s participation in Buddhism teaching, both Thailand and Laos PDR appeared at a high level as a whole. In Thailand, it was especially found different levels of participation as follows: the acceptance of other people’s opinions was ranked the highest while cooperation and people empowerment were ranked in the second and third places respectively. In Laos PDR, it was found that the cooperation, the acceptance of other people’s opinions and people empowerment were ranked from higher to lower level respectively.
On the welfare education in Thailand and Laos PDR appeared at a moderate level as a whole. When considering in Thailand, it illustrated that the highest rank was on the public information distribution while the connection and the acceptance of other people’s opinions were ranked the second and the third respectively. In Laos PDR, it appeared that the reception of public information, the acceptance of other people’s opinions, and the cooperation were ranked from top to lower ranks respectively.
On the public welfares in Thailand and Laos PDR appeared at a moderate level as a whole. When considering in Thailand, it demonstrated that the acceptance of other people’s opinions was ranked on top while the reception of public information and the cooperation were ranked the second and the third respectively. In Laos PDR, it appeared that the acceptance of other people’s opinions and connection with related people were ranked equally at the top level while the reception of public information and the people empowerment were ranked the second equally.
On the people’s participation activities in the strategic approach Buddhism among the communities located in the bordering zones between Thailand and Laos PDR in the globalization era, it appeared 4 main activity patterns: auspicious activities, giving activities, ritual ceremonial activities, and miscellaneous activities.
The auspicious ceremonial activities in Thailand and Laos PDR appeared that most of the people perceived about them but they did not understand the processes. When considering in each aspect, it appeared that Thai people perceived and understood in Dhamma practice which was ranked on top while the perception in practicing the eight commandments and the perception and praying were ranked respectively. In Laos PDR, it appeared that most of Laotians perceived and understood in Dhamma practices while walking with lighted candles in hands around the temple in the important religious days, and the perception and understanding in the eight commandments were ranked the second and the third respectively.
The giving activities among the Thai people and Laotians appeared that they perceived about them but they did not understand the processes as a whole. In Thailand, Thai people perceived and understood in making merits and giving food to the monks equally with in making merits in the auspicious occasions, for example, making merit on birthday anniversary, while the perception and understanding in giving educational scholarships and offering foods to the monks were ranked the second and the third respectively. In Laos PDR, most people perceived and understood in offering foods to the monks while the understanding in giving educational scholarships and making merits by offering money and materials to the temples were ranked the second and third respectively.
The ritual ceremonial activities in Thailand and Laos PDR appeared that the people perceived about them but they did not understand the processes. In Thailand, Thai people mostly perceived and understood in making merits and offering foods to the monks while the perception and understanding in freeing birds and fish and buying buffalos and cows to free them from slaughtering houses were ranked in the second and the third respectively. In Laos PDR, most Laotians perceived and understood in warmly new house ceremony equally with making merits for the dead people’s bones while the perception and understanding in wedding ceremony and making merits and offering foods to the monks both in auspicious and unauspicious ceremonies were ranked in the second and the third respectively.
On the miscellaneous activities in both Thailand and Laos PDR appeared that people perceived in the activities but they did not understand the processes. Both Thai people and Laotians mostly understood how to present foods and things to the monks while making script books to present things and foods to the monks and showing Wai or respect to the monks were ranked the second and the third respectively.
On the study of the people’s participation in the strategic approach Buddhism of the communities located in bordering zones between Thailand and Laos PDR in the globalization era among the three aspects: Buddhism teaching, welfare education and public welfares appeared as in the followings.
On Buddhism teaching, Thailand has mostly emphasized the promotion to teach Buddhism and public relations in the mass media while the construction of the syllabus to train the monk teachers and chanting monks and the public relations of Buddhism in various places, for example in the hotels, touring sites, etc. were ranked the second and the third respectively.
On the welfare education, Thailand has mostly conducted the strategies for educating the monks in various academic subjects while the support in establishing the schools located in Buddhism temples and the strategies for perceiving the problems and find out the solutions for them were ranked in the second and the third respectively. In Laos PDR, there was only strategy for raising fund for education.
On public welfares, Thailand has the policy to assist public relation strategies for public welfare activities which was ranked on top while the strategies for management and the strategies for perceiving the problems and finding the solutions for these difficulties were ranked the second and the third respectively. In Laos PDR, the strategies for planning in establishing the public welfare office was raked on top while the strategies for management and setting up the campaign for public relation on the public welfare activities were ranked the second and the third respectively.
