Landscape and food in contemporary Thailand: gathering as cultural practice

In Thailand, the present state of the cultural landscape is the result of the recent period of development influenced by foreign cultures, especially the industrial development under the paradigm of the capitalism. This incorporation of the foreign cultures conflicts with the traditional culture that has long developed in harmony with the regional environment. As a result, the present ways of life are now conflict with the traditional culture, and the highly urbanized and industrialized landscape replaces the natural landscape. This thesis has asked if landscape architecture can become a tool for reversing the impacts of modern industrial development and halting the capitalism that causes the imbalance between human consumption and the natural world. Despite the non-sustainable development, there is traditional culture that has persisted into the present. Gathering culture is the traditional practice that took root in Thai culture and has long been coupled with self-sufficiency agriculture that was the major culture in the region before the influx of foreign cultures in twentieth century. This culture is a visible landscape architectural practice that demonstrates the deep understanding of ecology. This traditional custom can be a landscape architectural tool for overturning the impacts of modern development by reintroducing the sustainable and resilient ways of life into Thai society. The purpose of this study is to record the the cultural significance that is changing in relation to the landscape change in Thailand. The suitability of this cultural practice to the attached landscape can be used to raise the local awareness of environment. It has implications for the state-wide policy concerning development. Moreover, it is important to landscape architects, who deal with the cultural context in practice, to understand the potential value of the culture that is always interwoven with landscape architecture.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.L.A.

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Landscape Architecture

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2014

Author dc:creator

• Maitreemit, Lassamon

Contributors dc:contributor

• Hays, David L.

• Cultural Heritage
• Thailand
• Gathering Culture
• Edible Landscape
• Indigenous Plants

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2013 Lassamon Maitreemit

Language dc:language

en

Handle dc:identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/46587

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/46587