Community Planning with Religious Sites: Understanding the Relationship of Theravada Buddhist Temples in Khon Kaen, Thailand, and their Surrounding Community
Social Capital; Khon Kaen; Buddhist Temples; Theravada Buddhism; Community Development; Generational Shifts
摘要
In a rapidly globalizing world, it is important to become aware of different religions and cultures in other regions of the world. This study focuses on communities with religious sites. Although there are many factors that contribute to communities with religious sites, this study is written with a strong consideration of the social capital and development that occurs in the community in relation to their religious sites. The province of Khon Kaen, Thailand was selected as a case study because it is a developing region with a history of devout Theravada Buddhist. As generational shifts occur, and the region becomes developed, the role of temples within the community has shifted. In this thesis, the researcher takes a `boots-on-the-ground’ approach to understand the relationship between the communities and temples in Khon Kaen. To analyze the effects of temples in communities, fieldwork was conducted at various Theravada Buddhist Temples in a range of neighborhood typologies, differing levels of tourism promotion, and in two different styles of practice. The decline of regular attendance from locals at temples can endanger the social capital established between the community and temple. Temples with a connection to nature have the strongest connection to religious practice. Healthcare, education, and social services at temples strengthen the social capital between the temple and community. Qualitative research and literature review show that tourism may be an effective way to draw revenue for the temple and community, but it risks alienating the local population and requires improved built infrastructure and cautious planning for implementation of tourism to be successful. This document is a summary of the research and findings on how to plan for communities with Theravada Buddhist Temples.
