Abstract
This research examines the idea of civil society in Thai community. The important themes are running through the rise and the existing of social groups as the institutionalization of the concept of civil society. This study aims to display the communicative actions of Thai village’s civil society, how this approach becomes institutional organizations, and also, how this approach has any impact in our community. The community groups in this study have emerged at the beginning of community. They are differently occurred and taken to various forms; depend on the environmental conditions, social contexts and life world in their localities. The social actions of civil society might be different, for example in the form of various communicative actions; the place for addressing problematic situations in community; the social institutions or organizations that share taking action and responsibility in public activities with the state sector. There are three actors of civil society in public sphere of Banphaew District. Firstly, the civil society in the sphere of state-market sector, these fundamental groups are found mostly in all villages of Thailand. They are formed by the state policy to enlarge the growth of market sector, and they are subordinated the budget and the means of production by the state sector. The social relationship in these groups is formally organized, such as the village fund, the cooperatives, and the women groups. The leader members mostly have closely relationship with the officials and also have former social capital to influence collective actions legitimately. The social relations in this group based upon kinship networks, neighborhood relation and reciprocity in patron and client relationship. This group is a kind of the state sector in sharing of public sphere in the name of civil society, influence more opportunity in state-resources distribution.Secondly, the civil society in the sphere of social sector that refers to meditating sphere between the state (as the range of activities organized and legitimated by formalized coercive powers); and the market (as the range of profit-oriented activities). Its important role is basically the free place for exchange and discussion about cultural interests and social health. This kind of civil society is different and has variations in each locality. For example, it is the public place of community groups as known as “Sapa Cafe”. Sometimes these communications are institutionalized and organized in the form of voluntary organizations that work for the better public life, such as education, the quality of public life, public health etc.The community groups or “Sapa-Cafe” mostly occur in the form of small shops in the village. The important social role of these shops is the flow of various informations, such as the product prices, their agriculture knowledge, the movement update of the village fund or the community cooperatives, and also activities in everyday life. These communicative actions sometimes lead to the social movements of community or the decision making of social policy, rely on their problematic social situations. Another kind of the social sector is in the form of the formal structured institutions, social organizations, social clubs, foundations etc. Their members need to take action in voluntary activities, being free of formal coercion and the distribution of profits. Their activities in civic engagement are the participation in decision making and sharing responsibility with the state sector; addressing the problems and needs of community; and the negotiation with the state. Thirdly, the civil society in the sphere of private sector is the group of people that have the same interests. It functions individual utility more than collective utility. Sometimes these groups are in the organized groups to take more opportunity in the redistribution of resources, especially the supporting budget from the state sector. The concept of civil society approaches into the village community. It brings changes in many aspects, especially the adjustment of all sectors in public sphere. The state sector is required to reduce its size and de-centralized its authority to the social sector. But it becomes a part of civil society by create and support the budget for organizations in the village. In the meanwhile, even if the social sector is more significant, it’s dispersedly in the various forms. The new social meanings of civil society or gathering into group are new opportunity in the redistribution of public resources, and also the new performing in negotiation with the state. These conduct to the change of public or civic consciousness, more or less.
