From Nomadic People to Migrant Worker : Globalization and Hill People of Thailand

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K02062
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 08010:Sociology-related
• Research Institution: Tohoku Bunka Gakuen University (2022-2023); Hiroshima Kokusai Gakuin University (2019-2021)
• Principal Investigator: Sai Hironori 東北文化学園大学, 現代社会学部, 教授 (60589373)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: タイ山地民 / 移動民 / 移住労働者 / グローバル化 / マイノリティ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Hill people in Thailand were living outside of the nation-state and capital until the late in the previous century. However, in recent years, there has been an increase in hill people migrating abroad as Thai nationals. This study, focusing on such shifts, conducted research in northern Thailand and Japan, revealing the rapid expansion of migrant labor by hill people. The most popular destinations for migrant labor among hill people are South Korea, followed by Taiwan, Japan, the Middle East including Israel, and also Australia and Europe.The transformation into migrant laborers also is an opportunity for them to "become Thai nationals" while simultaneously contributing to the preservation of their way of life and community as Hill people.

Free Research Field

社会学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

かつて国家や資本の狭間や外部を生きていたタイの山地民が、近年新たに国民化や労働力化されていることを実証的に示した。それによりグローバル化時代における民族的マイノリティの包摂や統合とともに、マイノリティの独自の生き延び方の可能性と困難を具体的に把握することができた。また、日本を含めたいわゆる先進国で進む移民化や移住労働者への依存の高まりを考えるための視座を得ることができた。