Decolonized Participatory Communication: A Study of Community Business in Rural Thai Community

Abstract

Participatory communication is a Western concept that emphasizes equal participation among stakeholders. However, in the context of rural Thai communities, where hierarchy and respect for social status are deeply ingrained, equal participation in communication is not the norm. This article examines the implementation of participatory communication in rural Thai communities through interviews and observations of local banana processing entrepreneurs in Phitsanulok province, Thailand. The findings indicate that within a culture characterized by high-context communication, high power distance, and high uncertainty avoidance - elements fundamentally at odds with the concept of equal participation in 'participatory communication'-Thai local entrepreneurs successfully operate their businesses in harmony and peace. This article, therefore, calls for the decolonization of the Western concept of participatory communication by promoting a deeper understanding of local contexts that reflect cultural and value systems distinct from those in which the concept originated. This approach aims to foster genuine equal opportunities in knowledge creation within the communication discipline, benefiting both scholars and practitioners.

Keywords:decolonizeparticipatory communicationrural Thai community