Lanna Women’s Communication for Empowerment in Ritual Media to Worship Ancestral Spirits (Phi Pu Ya)

Abstract

The objective of this research is to analyze the communication of Lanna women in relation to the empowerment of authority through ritual communication with the ancestral spirits (phi pu ya). The study aims to examine the exercise of power by Lanna women through planned communication strategies to achieve their goals. Qualitative research methods are employed, including in-depth interviews and participatory field observations. Data is collected and analyzed through a cross-sectional analysis to explain the specific communication strategies used to enhance and empower authority in the current context. Additionally, the research presents descriptive research data.

The research findings revealed that the communication of Lanna women regarding the empowerment of authority through ritual communication with the ancestral spirits (phi pu ya) consists of four groups. The first group is the communication group, where Lanna women simultaneously act as message senders, content carriers, personal mediators, and message receivers. The second group encompasses distinctive characteristics, including adaptability and flexibility according to situations, diverse facial expressions, multitasking in communication, the ability to connect people within the community, social roles, social status, and various forms of support. The third group focuses on communication competencies, such as knowledge of the community context and recipient analysis, as well as the communication skills of Lanna women, including the selection of traditional and modern media, and the choice of content. The fourth group involves communication strategies, such as construction, deconstruction of meanings, creating new meanings, storytelling, blending old and new knowledge, and utilizing current events. These strategies correspond to different types of authority used in communication, ranging from superior authority, authority in action, collaborative authority, and internal authority derived from personal attributes. It is therefore necessary to ensure the presence of all these characteristics in each group division to maintain the foundation of authority.