Toward a Thai-Specific Generational Cohort Framework: A Basic Individual Values Perspective
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Abstract
This study takes a step toward developing a Thai-specific generational cohort framework grounded in the country’s historical, economic, and social transformations. Drawing on Schwartz’s Theory of Basic Individual Values, the study examines how shared formative experiences are reflected in relative value prioritization across generational cohorts. Using secondary survey data from Thailand, the study employs a comparative cohort-based analysis to contrast the proposed Thai generational classification with the U.S.-based generational framework commonly used in prior research. The results indicate that the Thai classification offers a more nuanced and culturally grounded segmentation, capturing generational differences that are less apparent when Western cohort definitions are applied. In particular, younger Thai cohorts place greater relative emphasis on Face and Conformity, while patterns in Achievement, Security, and Universalism diverge from those observed under U.S.-based cohort classifications. These findings contribute to the literature on generational analysis by demonstrating the value of context-specific cohort frameworks and highlighting the importance of incorporating national historical and socio-economic conditions when studying generational value differences. The results have implications for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners who rely on generational classifications in the Thai context.
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