Rethinking Chinese capitalism : economic cultures, guanxi and identities of Thai Yunnanese transnational entrepreneurs in Chiang Mai City

ทบทวนทุนนิยมจีน : วัฒนธรรมทางเศรษฐกิจ, กวนซี และอัตลักษณ์ ของผู้ประกอบการข้ามชาติชาวไทยเชื้อสายยูนนานในเมืองเชียงใหม่

Name: Lee Kian Cheng

ThaSH: Capitalism -- China

Classification :.DDC: 338.951

ThaSH: Businesspeople -- Chiang Mai

Abstract: This thesis argues that Chinese capitalism should be reconceptualized as multiple Chinese economic cultures comprising guanxi, which complements Bourdieu’s capital interaction in elucidating multiple class mobility trajectories, as well as identities in neo-ethnic entrepreneurialism through the study of Thai Yunnanese transnational entrepreneurs in Chiang Mai city. In the flourishing economic landscape of East and Southeast Asia, ethnic Chinese have dominated in control of both public and private companies. Over the past two decades, China’s economic growth has also been phenomenal as one of the world’s fastest growing economies. Hence, there is an increasing interest from various disciplines and diverse professions to grasp Chinese capitalism. However, researches in Chinese capitalism have largely fallen in binarism of either cultural or institutional explanation. Besides, studies have gravitated towards the largest Chinese concentration from Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore. Even in the localized context of Thai Chinese capitalism, they have focused on Teochew dialect group like Charoen Phokpand (CP) and Bangkok Bank Groups. Consequently, these shaded preoccupations have gravely monochromatized Chinese capitalism while delimiting critical perspectives and responses. Within Chinese capitalism, Thai Yunnanese are a neglected but significant group. Situated in a changing socio-economic and political climate, some Thai Yunnanese have triumphed over historical marginality through transnational entrepreneurship in Chiang Mai city. Through an actor-oriented approach, this thesis decisively responds to research problematics and unravels multiple particularistic Chinese economic cultures in strategic deployment. In particular, guanxi is remodeled as heuristic device, which in complementarity with Bourdieu’s capital interaction analytic, elucidates class mobility trajectories. It effectively explicates the accumulations and interactions of social, cultural and economic capital as well as their conversions into symbolic capital. In addition, this thesis explores the remaking of Thai Yunnanese transnational entrepreneurs’ multiple interstitial relational identities of past stigma and present image; ethnic identifications and transnational entrepreneurialism; negotiating patriotism in-between Taiwan and China; and inter-generational conflictual ideologies coupled with institutional mediatory role. This thesis has yielded four major findings: (1) Chinese capitalism with Thai Yunnanese characteristics; (2) multiplicity, fluidity, dialecticity of economic cultures; (3) transformability, flexibility and dynamism of guanxi; and (4) multiplicity, simultaneity and entrepreneurialism of identities through Thai Yunnanese transnational entrepreneurs in Chiang Mai city as analytic category. The impact of this thesis lies in the significant theoretical contribution at three levels: (1) ontological shifts in studies of Chinese capitalism, guanxi and identity constructivism; (2) complementarity of guanxi and Bourdieu’s capital interaction as double analytic lens in epistemological contribution; and (3) complementarity of guanxi networking concept and social network analysis as methodological contribution. Finally, this thesis adopts a critical ethnographical perspective in advocating the alleviation of marginalities through the strategic deployment of multiple particularistic economic cultures in the age of glocal capitalism.

Chiang Mai University Library

Address: CHIANG MAI

Email: cmulibref@cmu.ac.th

Name: Wasana La-orngplew

Role: Chairman

Name: Yos Santasombat

Role: Member

Name: Aranya Siriphon

Role: Member

Name: Suchart Setthamalinee

Role: Member

Name: Thapin Phatcharanuruk

Role: Member

Created: 2015

Modified: 2017-09-21

Issued: 2017-09-21

วิทยานิพนธ์/Thesis

application/pdf

CallNumber: Th/N 338.951 L478R

eng

Spatial: Thailand, Northern

Spatial: Chiangmai

DegreeName: Doctor of Philosophy

Level: ปริญญาเอก

Descipline: Social Science

Grantor: มหาวิทยาลัยเชียงใหม่

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