Upland to Lowland: Karen Positioning and Identity Construction through Language Socialization in Thailand
Nopthira Jawaut and Remart Dumlao
Abstract
Karen (or Kariang or Yang) are ethnic groups that do not share common culture, language, religion, or material heritages, and live mostly in the mountainous region between Myanmar and neighboring countries (Fratticcioli 2001; Harriden 2002). Some of these groups have migrated to Thailand, and live near its borders. Given the large number of migrant Karens, there is a paucity of research into the ways in which Karen upland ethnic groups negotiate and construct their identities in Thai society.
This paper explores ways in which Karen communities negotiate and construct their identities through language socialization in the Thai learning context. The study draws insights from discourse theory and ecological constructionism to describe the identity and negotiation process of Karen communities. Through an ethnography, we developed understandings of this phenomenon between ethnicity and language socialization.
Findings suggest that the shift in the social identities of the Karen community frequently appears through the formation and negotiation of language competence. Socialization constitutes a dynamic and complex process, as elaborated on in the study. The discussion has implications for broader work on immigration, mobility, and for language and cultural policy.
Keywords: Karen, identity positioning and negotiation, ethnography, ethnic contact, Thailand, linguistic anthropology