Abstract:
The study analyzed discourses (sets of explanations), e.g. medical discourse, sexuality
discourse, and retribution discourse, that a community in a northeastern Thai province used for
explaining the phenomenon of incest, and studied patterns of self-adjustment for co-habitation
between those with incest experience and other villagers in the community through the
processes of negotiation with, resistance against or even acceptance of the discourses produced
by the community. This is a qualitative ethnographic research study using various data
collection techniques, which are participatory and non-participatory observation and in-depth
interview of community members.
The research findings suggest that the villagers explained incest based on abnormal
sexuality, genetic abnormality, mental disorder, and retribution discourses. These discourses
manifested by suggesting that incest is related to abnormal behavior of men or those with
mental disorder, genetic abnormality or even bad deeds in their previous life so that they have
to compensate for the deeds in this life.
Furthermore, the community and those with incest experience used three mechanisms
or patterns of self-adjustment, negotiation with, and resistance against the discourses, that is,
using kinship terms existing in the general family system as if no incest had occurred; marrying
another person while both were still living in the community; and not mentioning it or keeping
it as a secret so that it becomes a silent thought of the community.