Constructions of náksèuk-săa: tracing contested imaginings of the Thai university student

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Abstract

Higher education (HE) has been identified as a key priority for Thai policymakers across historical periods and is often understood to be an important investment that will enhance both social development and economic prosperity. Given the prominence of HE in Thai government policy and the significant government revenues that flow into HE, the Thai university student or náksèuk-săa is often a figure under intense national scrutiny. Despite this significant interest, the ways in which náksèuk-săa are conceptualised has been under-considered in scholarly accounts. This chapter responds to these gaps, taking náksèuk-săa seriously as an important educational subject worthy of detailed attention. Following analysis of a corpus of HE policy texts spanning three decades, we discern four key imaginings of náksèuk-săa: future worker, preserver of culture, customer and the ʼnew gen’ student. These imaginings have arisen in response to the changing economic and political circumstances of the nation. However, through our analysis we characterise náksèuk-săa as a complex figure where multiple constructions are both coexisting and in conflict. Our chapter makes a contribution to studies of Thai HE by connecting together a highly dispersed literature, and by inviting greater reflection about which ideas of the student might be carried forward, and which ought to be contested. By focusing on Thai HE, we also offer a new perspective on global conversations about the idea of the university student.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationReimagining the Higher Education Student
Subtitle of host publicationConstructing and Contesting Identities
EditorsRachel Brooks, Sarah O'Shea
PublisherRoutledge
Chapter4
Pages45-61
Number of pages17
ISBN (Electronic)9781000358766
ISBN (Print)9780367426514
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 18 Mar 2021

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