Long Necks of Northern Thailand: Identity Construction and Interaction with the Tourism Landscape in the Context of Globalization

Abstract

This research examines the long-necked people of Northern Thailand, known for their neck rings, to understand their complex identity in the context of globalization. The research uses national identity and political identity negotiation theories to explore these groups' social, historical, and cultural aspects. In an increasingly globalised society, the study seeks to highlight how the long-necked people manage their identity within tourism's complicated landscape, providing a comprehensive perspective of their historical growth and current concerns. This study examines how historical events and social changes have affected their position, recognition, and socio-cultural integration. The research also analyses long-necked societies' adaptation tactics and resistance to changing political, economic, and cultural influences using political identity negotiation theory. As globalization changes society and politics, long-necked cultures are caught between tradition and modernity. The study's findings illustrate these communities' historical evolution, national identity dynamics, and complex political identity struggles in the face of modern problems. This research illuminates the complexities of their identity in the tourism landscape, which benefits both scholars and policymakers and practitioners seeking to preserve and improve these unique communities' cultural and well-being in the globalised era.