Violence: The Hegemony Process of Vocational Students in Bangkok.

Abstract

This research aimed to 1) investigate the hegemony process of vocational students in Bangkok, Thailand, 2) discover factors affecting their violent behavior, and 3) propose appropriate resolutions of violent behavior. The methodology of this qualitative-based research included a review of related documents, articles, and theories, and case studies. The instruments were in-depth interviews and participant observation. Thirty-three key informants participating in this research were former students and current students performing and not performing violence and teachers from institutions the researcher focused on. The research discovered that there were three hegemony processes: 1) freshmen welcome ceremony, 2) the transfer of the experience on violent performance from present students to new coming students, and 3) students’ learning through their own experiences on violence. The factors affecting their violent behavior included 1) internal elements which included their thoughts and motivation considered to be the primary hegemony process directly leading to the performance of violent behavior and 2) external elements as the secondary process which included environments, such as factors related to society, individual, and schools. According to the findings, the research hence proposed five measures to manage their violent behavior: “An eye for an eye”, the interruption of the transfer of experience of violence, students’ infatuation with their schools’ positive attitudes, a close watch on violent behavior and the promotion of new values, and positive communication.