FEMINIST POLITICAL ECONOMY AND GENDER ROLE TRANSFORMATIONS IN NORTHERN THAILAND HOMESTAY TOURISM

20210429154154.pdf

FEMINIST POLITICAL ECONOMY AND GENDER ROLE TRANSFORMATIONS IN NORTHERN THAILAND HOMESTAY TOURISM
Tanya Promburom

Ph.D., Women’s and Gender Studies Program, Faculty of Social Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand

This study examines the transformation of gender roles of ethnic Lahu women who are participating in homestay tourism and community-based tourism development in northern Thailand. Since 2015, tourism has become a significant source of income for villagers. This comes from tourism activities such as the homestay experience, purchasing souvenirs, trekking tours, etc. Tourism development has also impacted communities’ socio-fabric; this is both in nourishing and detrimental ways, not all of which are mentioned in this paper. Lahu women play an active role in both the domestic and public spheres. They are challenged by the double burdens of farm production and reproduction work, as well as and by community-driven activities related to homestay tourism development. These phenomena are shifting, even reconstructing, the functions and meanings of Lahu women’s traditional gender roles. For example, with homestay tourism what has been historically considered non-value work (e.g., caretaking, cooking, cleaning, etc.), due to it not cultivating financial income, are evermore becoming value-work. Women’s economic status is transforming, and so are traditional gender roles. This, at least in this village case study, is being exemplified by women’s bolstered capacity for negotiating traditional gender roles, particularly during peak tourism season. Moreover, women are brokering their family-related decision-making powers. An example is convincing the husband to support purchasing a vehicle, a washing machine; domestic work duties are also being rearranged. Still, women seemingly cannot secure full decision-making power because they still seek (or require) agreement with their husbands. However,

acquiring independent income does render significant impacts on these overall dynamics.

Reference:ICIRD 2019 The 6^thInternational Conference on International Relations and Development (ICIRD) 2019 Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, Thailand 22 November 2019 - 23 November 2019

Link อ่านเพิ่มเติม: 

https://www.icird2019.com/uplo...