Sinsai: A Local Knowledge Curriculum and Mechanism of Power in Constructing Social Discipline

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to examine the training of students in public schools affiliated with Khon Kaen Municipality (KKM) though a “good citizenship” discipline using a specific curriculum based on the locally popular Sinsai epic. The data used in this paper were drawn from qualitative research conducted from June to November, 2013. Data collection techniques included participant and non-participant observation as well as in-depth interviews. Key informants were the teachers who had participated in drafting this curriculum. The research suggests that the teachers, who were assigned to instil the discipline determined by the KKM, have attempted to apply this curriculum in teaching courses from kindergarten to secondary education levels. By employing the knowledge in Sinsai as a mechanism of power, the teachers make their students aware of acceptable and unacceptable speech and behavior. The application of the Sinsai-based local knowledge curriculum, therefore, clearly reflects the politics of constructing a discipline of good citizenship, which is emphasized more than making the students proud of their local culture.