Abstract:
This research is a study of "the Role of Monks in Persuasion andImplanting Appreciation in Rural People to Participate in the Conservation of Reserved Forests : with Special Reference to the Abbots in Ubon Ratchathani Province", focussing its attention to monks' role as senders who persuaded and implanted appreciation in rural people so as to participate in the conservation of
Reserved Forests.
In nature the research is a survey, aiming at a study of two hundred monkswho are the abbots in Ubon Ratchathani Province as a purposive sampling group. The analysis of data is based on a descriptive statistics, namely, number and percentage. T-test and Chi-Square test were also used, wherever necessary, to prove hypotheses. Its results are as follows:
Most of the monks have a vital role in persuading and implanting appreciation in rural people to participate in the conservation of Reserved Forests. 33.5 percent of the monks have a medium role, 33 percent have a major role and the rest have a minor role.
A large number of the monks, namely, 57 percent have got information about the conservation of Reserved Forests by watching television : 25.5 percent receive information daily ; 76 percent suggested including this information in their surmons but did so only occasionally; about 33.5 percent included this information less frequently than once every two wecks.
The majority of the monks, namely, 36.5 percent chose to teach the people by leading them in activities; 26 percent through their surmons, suggestions or explanations; 24 percent through the radio and newspapers while 21 percent used television.
From a study of hypotheses it is found that monks' backgrounds on the duration of monkhood and education are different but their role in persuading and implanting appreciation in rural people to participate in the conservation of ReservedForests is not different. Where their means of communication is different, for example, through surmons, suggestions, explaining Buddhadhamma, Ieading activities, communication through leaders such as leaders of sub-districts and leaders of villages etc, so the role is different as well, while their two ways of communication through the public agency is different but the role is not different.
Where as the different level of means of communication through the radio and television of the monks is different, so the role in persuading rural people is also different, but not different in using means of communication through newspapers, brochures or posters.
On suggestions it is found that the majority of the monks strongly agree with a vital role of the monks in the conservation of Reserved Forests. They should pay more attention to information on the conservation of Reserved Forests from mass media and apply the principles of Buddbadhamma such as kindness, Gratitude, Five Precepts and Contenment etc. For the benefit of teaching and persuading the people to participate in the conservation of Reserved Forests through the appropriate means of communication and this activity should be extremely and vastly spread by mass media.