Social Ideology in the Isan Ancient Law

Abstract

The research article aimed at studying the presentation of social ideologies in the Isan ancient law. The study applied a qualitative research method. The critical discourse analysis was employed as an essential conceptual framework to analyze the data with a study of 18 versions of Channawet Isan ancient law (2017) as follows: 1) 1st version of Lak Kham Mueang Roi-Et, 2) 2nd version of Lak Kham Mueang Roi-Et, 3) 3rd version of Lak Kham Mueang Roi-Et, 4) Anachak Lak Kham Mueang Suwannaphum, 5) Lak Kham Mueang Kalasin, 6) Lak Kham Mueang Phu Khiao, 7) Anachak Lak Chai Phra Setthathirath, 8) Lak Kham Mueang Sakon Nakhon, 9) Lak Kham, 10) Anachak Thammachak Lak Chai, 11) Anachak Thammasat-Rachasat-Soisaykham, 12) Khamphi Phra Thammasat Mueang Khon Kaen, 13) Soysaykham, 14) Khamphi Phosarat, 15) Khamphi Thammasat-Rachasat, 16) Phra Thammanoon, 17) Phra Thammasat, and 18) Phra Aiyakan. From the study, it has been found that Isan ancient law has 7 social ideologies as follows: 1) Ideology about the governor and the governed, 2) Ideology about religions, 3) Ideology about nature conservation, 4) Ideology about the role of men and women, 5) Ideology about the relationship between children and adults, 6) Ideology about supernatural, and 7) Ideology about nationalism. All of these ideologies are introduced under the fear of punishment for breaking the law, resulting in their unwitting adoption. The law is viewed only as an article that governs or controls how individuals in Isan society behave in accordance with rules, conventions, and traditions. These articles do, in fact, contain some hidden power. The law makers authorize power to dominate the thoughts of people in society via language, so that individuals in society are in the framework of the society that the law makers have established of the sorts of conduct that is good or bad, as well as instilling in society a love for the nation, religion, and monarch.