chapter 6. other concepts relating to sex - Windward Community ...

many ways, she defies the image of an elite, modern woman. But in remaining single and focused
on her royal duties, she in some ways promotes it.
It is a crime to defame the King in Thailand, so people refrain from publicly criticizing
the royal family. Though students talk only quietly about the personal situations of the royal
family, they were clearly displeased by the Prince's past playboy-like behavior, not the behavior
of a responsible father, husband, and national leader. Princess Sirinhorn, however, is considered
to be a role model by many, both males and females. She is educated, polite, caring, and very
supportive of Thai arts and culture.
Mole (1973) observed that Isan people revere the King "in almost a spiritual sense for
they seem him as the embodiment of certain divinity or at the very least, one who has earned very
much merit in previous existences" (p. 96). Isan people do, indeed, speak of the King and Queen
in terms of near worship. That they revere, love, and admire them so much suggests that the royal
couple is a strong model, as their children may be. In the royal family, students can see reflected
the tension between traditional and modern aspects of sex and family.
Law
Government policy is enforced through laws. Laws both shape and are shaped by social
practice, and so do not have absolute meanings. In Mahasarakham, villagers often utilize courts
only when other means fail to resolve a problem.
The Civil and Criminal Codes of Thailand clearly describe all legally criminal activities.
Some (e.g., murder) are more consistently enforced than others (e.g., prostitution). In
Mahasarakham, many transgressions are handled informally or locally, rather than involving the
police.
Laws are enacted by the government usually to serve government purpose. Sometimes
these agree with public sentiment, sometimes they don't. The family laws describe a very
particular elitist family structure that is in some ways inconsistent with traditional Isan family
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