Intellectual Capital: Community Strength of Hmong Houi Han Community, Chiang Rai Province

Abstract

This study was qualitative research based on the phenomenological approach. It aimed to investigate the intellectual capital and how it contributes to building community strength in the Hmong Houi Han community, Chiang Rai Province. The key informants consisted of twelve community social leaders selected through purposive sampling. The research instrument used for data collection was an interview form, and the data were analyzed through categorization. The quality of the research was verified through triangulation by experts.
The results revealed that the essential forms of intellectual capital in the Hmong Houi Han community included: 1) physical capital, represented by the selection of settlement areas that enable the community to utilize forest resources for production and consumption; 2) human capital, reflected in the inheritance of local wisdom from ancestors to support harmonious living with nature; and 3) social structural capital, demonstrated through the kinship system of Hmong “Sae” clans that regulate behavior and ensure members’ survival. Intellectual capital contributes to community strength through: (1) physical capital development in infrastructure, transportation, and communication systems; (2) human capital development by adapting types of economic crops suitable to natural conditions; and (3) social structural capital development to sustain livelihoods in accordance with Hmong cultural ethics.