Changed in the Community’s Livelihood Along Chee River Under The Process of Capitalism: Case Study Chee Wang Kan Village, Mancha Khiri District, khon kaen province.

Abstract

The objective of this article is to understand the general context of the Chee
Wang Kan village, including of change in Chee Wang Kan livelihood under the
process of capitalism. This study employed the concept of community economy.
In-depth interviews with 10 key informants and 103 household representatives
were applied together with guided questions. The study found that the previous
pattern of community economy in Chee Wang Kan village, since 1924, was
agriculture, based on cropped rice for their own consumption and fish from the
Chee River for their own consumption and for sale. Since 1989, the advance of
agriculture technology meant that they started to use walking tractors on their
farms. The pattern of the community economy in Chee Wang Kan village changed
to be agriculture products for sale. Prior to 2000, area suffered flooding that led
more laborers in the community to migrate to find work in Bangkok. Consequently,
this changed the villagers’ livelihoods, which became a mixture of non-agriculture
and agriculture products for sale. This situation continues to the present time.
However, the pattern of community economy in Chee Wang Kan village has
adapted to suit the context of the community, having not only agriculture but also a
non-agriculture pattern. This has ensured the maintenance of the community
economy pattern, under the influence of capitalism, to the present time.
Keywords : Community livelihood, Community economy, Capitalism, Chee River, Chee
Wang Kan