Coordination of Social Institutions into the Rural Community Strengthening Processes in the Five Southernmost Provinces of Thailand

Abstract

The article focuses on the coordination model of social institutions into the rural community strengthening processes in the Five Southernmost Provinces of Thailand and factors affecting the model. The result of the study by the analysis and synthesis method revealed that integrated-coordination model was the best for coordination of social institutions into community strengthening process in the 5 Southernmost Provinces of Thailand. Six components of the integrated model were adaptability of coordination style, making an agreement among the rural institutions, making job description of each institution, hold on strengthening community as ultimate goal, awareness of agreement and hold on multidimensional coordination method. The factors affecting coordination of social institutions were components of social institutions coordination as building understanding for institutions in the Tambon/village about mutual interest to be received from the community strengthening policy, accepting to work together between institutions and having a leader who is recognized by the community/village, significance of the situation as promoting folk wisdom (herbs, basketry, traditional medicine, etc.) for development of the village by government agencies and government agencies (education sector, community development sector, etc.) providing support for development activities to strengthen the community, community strengthening process as building activities for cooperation between villages and Tambon, functions of social institutions as functions of religious institution (temple and mosque) in stopping societal changes to deterioration and function of family as a whole, relationship level of social institutions as community schools and temples or mosques and finally the characteristics of the area as Thai Muslim community.