Local Identities in Lanna Fiction: 1978-2011

Abstract

This research titled, Local Identities in Lanna Fiction: 1978-2011, had the objectives of analyzing the mainstream cultural domination of local identities in Lanna fiction, the roles of the authors on representing local identities as well as the creation process, dynamics, identity shifting or adaptation, under the framework of postcolonial concept in relation to the concept of identity. The research was concluded that Lanna fiction had been used as a tool in cultural warfare to strike back against the two aspects of the mainstream cultural domination. The first one was that it being the criticism against cultural domination in education, economy, politics, culture, language, and history, which constituted the local changes. The second one was that it strikes back by serving as a revision and restoration of Lanna identities among the local people. This was to counterattack the social changes by ways of, such as, criticizing the stereotyped identity imposed on Lanna; revising collective memory of the history; creating a resistant consciousness for a meaningful social and cultural space; and constituting the identity to flow along with the changing contexts of globalization. The research revealed further that identity could be formed in 5 aspects: 1) gender identity, such as presented in a form of the traditionally strong male who carries on Buddhism, and the female counterpart who has various dimensions of identity based on the social contexts in Lanna society; 2) cultural and ethnic identities as seen through the ancient multi-cultures of Lanna in relation to being the center of Buddhism, the ethnic community, trade exchange and delicate culture; 3) Lanna historical consciousness; 4) resistant conscience against the central power through localism and 5) fluid identity, which presents Lanna people being situated in globalization, who negotiate with the central power of the state. Such a state derived from the globalized culture which brought Lanna identity to depend on power relations and all kinds of benefits in which Lanna people could receive.