1. Buddhist Public Relations Model for Thai Community Development: Theoretical and Practical Implications.
- Author
-
Hanpongpandh, Peeraya
- Subjects
PUBLIC relations ,BUDDHISTS ,SOCIAL integration ,COMMUNITY development ,CULTURE - Abstract
This research study challenges the conventional public relations by examining alternative public relations for Thai community-based organizations. The researcher views the conventional public relations practices in Thailand as simply following Western paradigms, often found unfit in the Thai contexts. The alternative model is reconceptualized within the Buddhism-based buranagarn framework, which embraces the understanding of complexity, plurality, interrelatedness, and interdependence of social reality. In an attempt to examine the interplay of the Buddhism-based buranagarn framework and the Western qualitative perspective, the term ?relational integration? is introduced. Within the relational integration framework, this study integrates the Buddhist way of thinking into the critical public relations theory and research, and coins this new concept as ?Buddhist public relations.? Through the integrated research method of critical-qualitative ethnography and collaborative action research, the researcher develops the experiential knowledge of public relations as community-building and co-operative learning process for community-based organizations from the particular locales in Bangkok metropolitan and the North-East region of Thailand. It is found that to facilitate the Buddhist public relations for community-based organizations, three major approaches needs to be taken into consideration: 1) Building Buddhist values as moral and spiritual groundwork; 2) Developing dialectic dialogue through community culture and social relationships; and 3) Facilitating community interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2003