The Opportunities and Limitations of Livelihood Capitals of an Urban Agricultural Households

This study aims at investigating the opportunities and limitations of livelihood capitals of an urban agricultural. With the Participatory Action Research method (PAR) via qualitative approach, 14 agricultural households residing and working in Kra-nuan Municipal District in KhonKaen Province were interviewed in-depth and brainstormed. The data was collected from December 2017 to March 2018 and analyzed using Content Analysis approach. The result showed that urban agricultural households lived in a village located in flourish economic municipal district where accessible facilities and services were available, but they still mainly carried on a traditional agricultural occupation. Due to the expansion of the city and rising cost of living, it was necessary for them to improve their production process. They brainstormed to analyze their resources and realized that they had rich natural, physical, and financial capitals of which they could utilize and make their living out. However, human and social capitals were found to obstruct the development of their occupation. In this situation, they teamed up and changed the production process from relying on long-term corps to implementing the integrated farming in which some land was also allocated for short-term corps for additional income. This was regarded as a livelihood strategy with limited chances and capitals

Skipped-Generation Families: Economic Happiness in Rural North-Eastern Thailand

This paper investigates economic happiness of skipped-generation families in rural north-eastern Thailand. The qualitative methodological approach was implemented in the study. Data collection was conducted in April - May 2018 and in-depth interview was used as a research instrument to collect data from two groups of key informants, including 1) community leaders, community seniors, and community commitees, In total eight persons, and 2) skipped-generation families living in a rural north-eastern region of Thailand, in total twenty families. Data analysis was done by the content analysis method. The study indicated that skipped-generation families are the familes with grandparents and grandchildren living together. Most families have an agricultural occupation, because they have a lot of land by inheritance and divided into two parts: housing and farming. Mostly agricultural income by sugar canes and farming can earn 2,400 USD per year. Moreover, remittances from international migrant only 450 USD per month is spent on family expenses and education of grandchildren. Some families do not have enoughmoney to invest in farming in the next year, and they have a lot more debt than 3,000 USD from a migrant who goes to work abroad. However, skipped-generation families have a perception of economic happiness "An empty hand is no lure for a hawk, no man is happy who does not think himself so" So, skipped-generation families must take this view to manage the economic situation of the family, even though the incomes are insuf-ficient to cover their living and lack of labor due to migrant workers going to work abroad. This affects the economic happiness of skipped-generation families to sustain their living in a rural society.SKIPPED-GENERATION FAMILIES:Economic Happiness in RuralNorth-Eastern Thailan

Happiness Elements of Elders in Rural Northeast, Thailand: Dynamic of Social Change in Globalization Era

This study aims to study elements for the elder's happiness in rural area of the north- eastern region, under the dynamic of social changes in the globalization. The study is a qualitative research having the unit of analysis both of individual and community lev- els. Data is collected from the in-depth interview with 18 elders, covering all age ranges, living in rural areas. The studiedarea is named O-lo village in PhuKiew district, Chaiya- phum province where contains high rates of the elders in the northeast. The data was collected during June to October 2017 using interview guide as a tool, and is analyzed with content analysis. The result reveals that the elders in O-lo community are happy with their family conditions. Their happiness consists of 4 elements as the followings. The first element is family meaning there are families or relatives to take care of. The elder always ask in order to follow up for their offspring's well-being and give moral support to them. The second element is regarding their health. The elders are in good health and able to take care of themselves. They can also help out their families with housework. This is also the result of their convenient accessibility to medical treatment. The third element is economic aspect. The elders have their occupations and incomes from various sources including their work, money given from their children, and the welfare elder allowances. The last element is social aspect. They feel safety in their lifes and properties. Moreover, they join social activities organized by the community in order to relieve themselves from stress, make merit in temples, and participate in any activities enhancing value of the elders

The changing of intergenerational transfers of economic capital in rural households in Northeastern, Thailand

This research studied the changes in intergenerational transfers of economic capital within rural households in Northeastern Thailand. The study was conducted using a qualitative approach in a rural community having the highest proportion of elderly population in the province. The units of analysis were at the community level and also the household level. Data were collected from in-depth interviews and observations using 35 key informants, with knowledge from the community and households which contained three generations of inhabitants who had transferred their economic capital (inheritance) between those generations. The content analytical method was employed for data analysis. The study area was mainly agricultural in character, with residents growing rice and other crops. The results of this study showed that the structures and social-economic contexts of the community had been changed by the influence of economic development. The practice of transfer between the generations within the household had changed and included economic capital, such as housing, land, valuable possessions and income/assets. The transfer patterns of such things as housing and income/assets had not changed, with housing being transferred along matrilineal lines. The income/assets that remained were transferred along bilateral lines (becoming both patrilineal and matrilineal). Land and assets that were transferred via matrilineal lines had changed to bilateral lines