Building Up Your Research (and thesis) Rawiwan Oranratmanee Seminar in architecture 2008

Homestay village in Northern Thailand

Establishing the research  From my interest in housing to the issue of change in a home  Turning from physical and economic to social and psychological aspects  Focusing Concept of a homeConcept of a home ‘Home’ vs ‘Meanings’‘Home’ vs ‘Meanings’ Changes in home environmentsChanges in home environments  Studying through homestay subject

Concept of a Home  a place, a space, a symbol, a feeling, a function  a private dwelling space  a place of shared life  a place for the family  a reflection and symbol of self and status  an identification; a place where one starts from  a security or a refuge from outside  a microcosm; small world in big world  a theatre of life; a place for reproduction of the species  a protection from natural elements and scrutiny of others  a territory, a prison, a fortress Bachelard 1964, Marcus 1988, Norberg-Shulz 1985, Oliver 1987, Rapoport 1969, Rybczynski 1988) (Bachelard 1964, Marcus 1988, Norberg-Shulz 1985, Oliver 1987, Rapoport 1969, Rybczynski 1988)

Changes in a home environment  The world has changed, so does a home  Changes are brought into a home  Ideas that home could perform other functions  Commercializing home can be a way of utilizing domestic space for the economic wealth, resulting in the well-being of the family  Nevertheless, is the meaning attached to a home has changed once it has become commercialized?  If so, how this affects the family and their values?  What are their perceptions towards the intervention in their homes?

Private Dwelling in Rural HOmestays: Northern Thailand  Privacy is a significant aspect of a home  How privacy in a domestic realm is affected when home is utilized differently?  A homestay is chosen due to its interesting aspect of allowing a non-member of the family into the home in a close relationship and for a long period of time compared to other practices  Rural context because of its cultural complexities and more impact than those in urban  Northern Thailand for its recognition as rural homestay cases both in Asia and the world

Definition: ‘Homestay’, also known as guesthouse or bed-and-breakfast, is a type of accommodation where visitors or guests pay directly or indirectly to stay in private homes (Lynch 1998)

Objectives Main: The thesis aims at understanding the phenomena taking place in rural houses offered for commercial hospitality as ‘homestays’. The objectives are:- 1 To investigate the physical, economic, social, cultural, political and environmental issues arising when rural houses are turned into homestays. 2 To analyse the way in which the households cope with their life living in homestays, in terms of relationship between: domestic activities, space use and objectsdomestic activities, space use and objects social interactionsocial interaction the meaning of the homethe meaning of the home 3 and to explain how these relate to home and homestay and the theoretical contexts

Questions The research seeks to find answers to the following questions:-  What are the physical, economic, social, cultural, political and environmental characteristics of the case studies? – Objective 1  What are the patterns of domestic activities, space use and objects as well as their interrelationships? – Objective 2.1  What are the patterns of social interaction in homestay? – Objective 2.2  How do the families perceive the meaning of home and that of homestay? – Objective 2.3  How do the above aspects relate to home and homestay and their theoretical contexts? – Objective 3

Research Approach & Methodologies  Mixed Approach: Sequential ->Quantitative for profiling then Qualitative for detail investigation  Participant Observation: Researchers stay with homestay families as their guests  Anthropological study using in-depth interviews, observations, visual materials  Content Analysis of different data by coding and discourses the key issues  Triangulate different data  Integrate and generalize to related issues, concepts, ideas; from concept of a home, changes, commercializing, tourism and housing in general

Interference in the Home settings  Family well-being  Social, cultural and economic constraints  Spatial and temporal factors  Changes in home settings  Home-based enterprises The study of a home  Anthropology of home  Concept of a home  Concept of dwelling  Aspects of privacy  Private dwelling  Relations to vernacular  Rural home settings Homestays  Perspectives of tourism & hospitality  Influencing factors  Defining homestays  Rural homestays  Impacts of homestays  Comparative data of homestays Meanings: Domestic environment Theoretical reiview The study of meanings Domestic environment Issues therein Literature Review Data Collection Syntheses Conclusions Methodology Established: Anthropological methods. Mixed approach. Participant observation observation daily activities and spacein-depth semi-structured interviews and informal talks with the villagers Sketches & Photos & videoTime log Proposal established: Private Dwelling in Rural Homestay, Northern Thailand Painting Analysis Coding Interview tapes Triangulation and interpretation of different data Coding Narrative Discourse Coding Analytical Framework

Output and Significance  This thesis provides research-based information about rural homestay for tourism. It adds more in-depth knowledge about the interrrelationships between space, social interaction and meaning that helps us understand relationships in domestic space  This knowledge contributes to home study, tourism, hospitality and vernacular studies which can be used by tourism policy- makers as well as by the communities involved in homestay practices  It responds to the need to study the meaning of home, which is increasingly diversified in different contexts. Its conclusions about the living conditions and well-being of the homestay family can be used by psychologists, ethnographers, and designers seeking in- depth information about a home from the point of view of those who live in it  On a broader and more general level, it contributes to studies relating to home studies, concepts of a home, home commercialisation, tourism, hospitality and vernacular traditions Note: all outputs are related to literature - the significance of good literature review is a solid research output

Time schedule  18 months M.Phil consisting: Proposal (6 months)Proposal (6 months) Literature review (continuous)Literature review (continuous) Methodology review/establishment (2 months)Methodology review/establishment (2 months) Case study selection (2 months)Case study selection (2 months) Preparation for fieldwork (3 months)Preparation for fieldwork (3 months) Fieldwork (3 months)Fieldwork (3 months) Transfer to PhD. (2 months)Transfer to PhD. (2 months)  18 months Ph.D consisting Analysis (9 months)Analysis (9 months) Prepare to submit and exam (6 months)Prepare to submit and exam (6 months) Publication (3 months)Publication (3 months) Month 10 now

Case Studies  Rural area of Northern Thailand  3 homestay villages, 1 month each village  3 homestays + 2 non-homestays families, totaling 15 families ~ 45 – 50 interviews  Criteria: Be a homestay villageBe a homestay village having homestays in their own homeshaving homestays in their own homes Consisting different family membersConsisting different family members Representing diversities of homestays in the northern ThailandRepresenting diversities of homestays in the northern Thailand