The inter-relationship between violence and education amidst armed conflict in Southern Thailand
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JACPR-04-2016-0222 |
| Published date | 10 October 2016 |
| Pages | 269-278 |
| Date | 10 October 2016 |
| Author | Sudarat Tuntivivat |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care,Criminology & forensic psychology,Aggression, conflict & peace,Sociology,Gender studies,Gender violence,Political sociology, policy & social change,Social conflicts,War/peace |
The inter-relationship between violence
and education amidst armed conflict in
Southern Thailand
Sudarat Tuntivivat
Sudarat Tuntivivat is a Lecturer
at the Behavioral Science
Research Institute,
Srinakharinwirot University,
Bangkok, Thailand.
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of this paper is to investigate direct, cultural, and structural violence in education
system in the midst of armed conflict in Southern Thailand.
Design/methodology/approach –The exploratory qualitative case study conducted in-depth interviews and
focus groups with 40 participants, consisting of students, parents, teachers, guidance counselors, principals,
experts, education specialists, and administrators from seven schools acro ss the three southern border provinces.
Findings –The study reveals some misconceptions of violence, normalization of direct violence in armed
conflict,and pinpoints theways in which cultural violenceis used to legitimizestructural and directviolence in the
educationsystem, as well as adverseeffects and ethno-religious segregationin schools and the largersociety.
Social implications –Some policy recommendations are offered to address violence and promote
sustainable peace through the education system in Southern Thailand.
Originality/value –This paper offers new perspectives on the inter-relationship between education
and violence and adverse effects on violence in the education system in the midst of armed conflict in
Southern Thailand.
Keywords Violence, Discrimination, Islamic education, Terrorism, Segregation, Ethno-religious conflict
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
The ethno-religious conflict between the Thai Buddhist state and Malay Muslim minority in
Southern Thailand began in the eighteenth century and continues today as one of Asia’s most
serious insurgencies (Brooks, 2015; McCargo, 2014). The causes of this conflict are complex,
ranging from historical resistance to human rights abuses and socioeconomic marginalization.
A considerable number of international and Thai scholars have explored the current unrest in
Southern Thailand from the perspective of conflict and conflict resolution (McCargo, 2014; Joll,
2010; Yusef, 2007). There is a general consensus that education policy has played an important
role in contributing to the conflict (UNICEF, 2014). As a partial result, public education in Southern
Thailand is under attack (O’Malley, 2010). Academic researchers on education in
Southern Thailand have been reluctant to investigate education in emergencies and the
impact of armed conflict on education (International Crisis Group, 2009; Human Rights Watch,
2010). Typically, academic researchers attempted to explore and address the barriers of
education in the multicultural society (Farrungsang, 2008; Sungtong, 2012) Islamic education,
(Liow, 2010; Wisalaporn, 2010) and education reform (Nitjarunkul et al., 2014).
A recent study analyzing conflict news in Thai mass media from 2013 to 2014 revealed that the
root cause of the conflict in the Southern Thailand is classified as a structural conflict
Received 5 April 2016
Revised 26 May 2016
Accepted 31 May 2016
The author would like to express
the deepest gratitude to
Dr Dusadee Yoelao for her
valuable advice and guidance on
the research methods for this
study. This project was supported
by Grant TRG5880128 awarded
by the Thailand Research Fund
and Strategic Wisdom and
Research Institute, Srinakharinwirot
University.
DOI 10.1108/JACPR-04-2016-0222 VOL. 8 NO. 4 2016, pp.269-278, © Emerald Group Publishing Limited, ISSN 1759-6599
j
JOURNAL OF AGGRESSION, CONFLICTAND PEACE RESEARCH
j
PAGE269
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