Mapping Bangkoks Living Local Culture Bussakorn Binson Ph

Mapping Bangkok’s Living Local Culture Bussakorn Binson, Ph. D. et al. Co-Director • Urban Research Plaza – URP Director • The Center of Excellence in Thai Music and Culture Research – Chulalongkorn University Funding Grant from Bangkok’s Department of Culture, Sports & Tourism

Mapping Bangkok’s Living Local Culture Sites in 50 Districts

Five Categories of Cultural Heritage • Performing Arts • Traditions • Sports and Recreation • Craftsmanship • Domestic Arts

Objectives • To discover and document the living local cultural sites in the city of Bangkok • To counter Bangkok’s reputation as a sex tourism destination

Thailand… A Country Known for its Sex Trade

Map of Patpong-Bangkok’s Red Light District

Thailand… A Country Known for its Sex Trade

City of Diverse Cultures

Research Methodology • Qualitative field research & observation • Mapped all of Bangkok’s living local culture sites from its 50 districts • GPS location data was collected

Categories of Local intangible Cultural Heritage • • • Performing Arts Traditions Sports and Recreation Craftsmanship Domestic Arts

Research Findings Mirrored Heterogeneity • These living local cultural sites mirror the heterogeneity of its residents with their diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds

Culture Clusters There are local culture clusters of Laotians, Khmers, Mon, Chinese, Muslims, Indians, Vietnamese and Sikhs as well as Westerners

www. livingculturalsites. com

Book – Website – GPS Cultural Tourism Support

www. livingculturalsites. com

Performing Arts

Traditions

Sports & Recreation

Craftsmanship

Domestic Arts

GPS Guides You to the Cultural Sites

Findings • 275 Living Local Cultural Sites • Culture owners are devoted to preserving their multigenerational heritage • The natural beauty of these cultural sites remains clearly evident and vibrant – although difficulties remain hampering their preservation

Extinction Danger • Absence of successors • List of supportive factors needed for sustainability

Culture Owners – Lack of… • • • Financial support Public Recognition Awareness of their own culture Knowledge Successors

Policy makers – Lack of… • • • Input from the communities Sincere intention to support Knowledge of local cultural diversity Communication skills Awareness of how culture is essential to the community

Holistic Approach – LISTEN & LISTEN Learn more >> Involve >> Support >> Take it seriously >> Listen more before planning Interact with the community Service what is needed Think before acting for better solutions Educate >> Negotiation >> Educational Management No top-down commands

What is ASEAN Culture? How can I explain it to my friends?

Becoming ASEAN " One Vision, One Identity, One Community” ? ? ?

Map of ASEAN Living Local Cultural Sites

Map of Global Local Living Cultural Sites

Getting to know Global Living Cultural Sites

Stage 2 Living Local Culture Sources & Cultural Preservation, Education & Tourism

How to Utilized Discovered Cultural Assets • Mapping discovers cultural resources… • What is the next step?

Cultural Sources and the Educational System • Integration of the living local cultural (LLC) source into the Thai educational system as a supportive adjunct to traditional cultural preservation • It is not a replacement path, but an additional path

Living Local Cultural Source’s Role

Supporting Cultural Preservation

Education Integration

Tourism – Cultural Tourism

National Policy Makers

Economics

National Economy

Global Community

Summary • The inclusion of LLC sources into mainstream education and tourism is a model which most country could implement. • It has a key element of including the young generation both as cultural learners and cultural disseminators or ambassadors to the global community.

Classroom for Global Students

Social Media -Online Lessons Via Facebook

“Culture is Educated” & “Education is Culture”

livingculturalsites. com

Thank You! See you on facebook: Jane Binson