Abstract
In December 2004, the Indian Ocean Tsunami hit the shores of 13 countries, and more than 280,000 people lost their lives. In Thailand, about 10,000 people died or are missing, and approximately 8,500 people were injured. The exact number of how many died will never be known. This chapter deals, from a gender perspective, with the significance of Buddhism in the post-Tsunami recovery process in small fishing communities in Southern Thailand. It explores local adaptation strategies. The chapter is based on findings from a long-term anthropological project carried out in coastal villages in Phang Nga, the worst-hit province in Thailand. In Phang Nga, 69 villages were affected by the Tsunami, and some were totally destroyed. Many of those who survived lost their homes, families, friends, and neighbors. After the Tsunami, the intact Buddhist temples became important places of refuge and hubs around which everything functioned. The ethnographic accounts presented in the chapter are based on in-depth interviews, life stories, and participant observation. The chapter contains the experiences of Buddhist monks, nuns, and laypeople of the catastrophe and provides instances where Buddhism has been important in the recovery process.
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Notes
- 1.
Since the study is primarily based on information collected from personal observation and interviews, consideration of ethical questions is important. I have masked the identity of the informants, and all personal names in this article are fictitious.
- 2.
Interview, April 15, 2006.
- 3.
Interview, July 23, 2007.
- 4.
For more information on gender and Buddhism in Thailand, see Falk (2007).
- 5.
Interview, April 16, 2006.
- 6.
Interview, April 2006.
- 7.
Interview, February 21, 2007.
- 8.
Interview, January 18, 2007.
- 9.
Interview, April 3, 2006.
- 10.
Interview, July 27, 2007.
- 11.
Interview, February 28, 2007.
- 12.
Interview, February 4, 2007.
- 13.
Interview, March 27, 2007.
References
Falk, M. L. (2007). Making fields of merit: Buddhist female ascetics and gendered orders in Thailand. Copenhagen/Washington, DC: NIAS Press/University of Washington Press.
Falk, M. L. (2010). Recovery and Buddhist practices in the aftermath of the Tsunami in Southern Thailand. Religion, 40, 96–103.
Isalapakdee, P. (2006). Tsunami: Deaths and injuries in the affected areas. Paper presented at the 2nd annual conference of population and social research, Asia Hotel, Bangkok, Research Institute of Population and Social Research, Mahidol University, Thailand (in Thai).
Lebel, L., Khrutmuang, S., & Manuta, J. (2006). Tales from the margins: Small fishers in post tsunami Thailand. Disaster Prevention and Management, 15(1), 124–134.
Acknowledgment
This research project is supported financially by the Swedish Research Council, (VR). I would like to acknowledge my informants for sharing their knowledge and experiences with me. I wish to thank Ms Nantana Pidtong for her excellent research assistance.
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Falk, M.L. (2014). Gender and Buddhism in the Wake of the Tsunami. In: Liamputtong, P. (eds) Contemporary Socio-Cultural and Political Perspectives in Thailand. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-7244-1_24
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-7244-1_24
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