Political conflicts around the world typically arise from divisions based on class, ethnicity, rural-urban disparities and caste, rather than age differences. This observation caused Asst Prof Kanokrat Lertchoosakul, lecturer at the Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University, to investigate if it is true that political conflict in Thailand is one between generations.
In collaboration with Kid for Kids - Children and Family Policy Center, the Thai Health Promotion Foundation and 101 Public Policy Think Tank, Asst Prof Kanokrat recently published her research, titled "Politics Of Generations: A Case Study Of Thai Family Conflicts".
She gathered data by using qualitative and quantitative methods. Research participants living in different regions and with different levels of political awareness, political engagement and political activism were included. The research covered the time before and after rallies organised by today's youth and the general election in 2023.
"Our research team revisited people whom we interviewed during rallies. They were active participants in the rallies. We spoke with them and their family members to observe their relationships. We also interviewed people who were non-active participants during rallies to compare differences between families of active and non-active participants," Asst Prof Kanokrat explained.
"The research involved 2,200 surveys and in-depth interviews conducted over four generations in 38 families. The research also used 'civic imagination', which is a research tool that explores different perspectives without explicitly discussing differences."
Asst Prof Kanokrat revealed the preliminary conclusion of the research is that conflicts between generations in Thai society really do exist, but age is not the only factor that causes issues.
Two other factors are the "cohort effect" and "event effect". Cohort effects are shaped by shared experiences and historical events which create a unique identity for each generation. Meanwhile, event effect refers to how global events shape the characteristics and experiences of a particular generation.
Asst Prof Kanokrat divided generation typology in Thailand into four: Cold War generation -- conservative; semi-democracy generation -- conservative leaning; yellow/red shirt generation -- liberal leaning; and white ribbon generation -- liberal.
"The baby boomer generation in Thailand is generally conservative because they grew up during the Cold War period. At that time, Thailand was governed under a long dictatorship," Asst Prof Kanokrat explained.
"The dictatorship was successful in stimulating Thailand's economy to prosper. However, the Oct 14, 1973, uprising and Oct 6, 1976, massacre which sought to promote democracy led to chaos. This mayhem and the rise of the Communist Party made baby boomers feel that democracy is a problematic form of government.
"Gen X grew up under the semi democratic rule of Gen Prem Tinsulanonda, a former prime minister, who was appointed by HM King Rama IX. The government was stable and the economy thrived. In 1992, Gen X came under a government that was from a general election. However, the coalition government turned out to be inefficient and unstable. Though Gen X were not in favour of dictatorship, they still felt sceptical of a democratic governance.
"Gen Y grew up during the governance of former PM Thaksin Shinawatra whose government was stable and brought great economic success to the country, so they prefer a democratic government over dictatorship. However, the government under Thaksin used absolute power which was unchecked and unbalanced. While Gen Y prefers democracy, they are worried that a democratic government may lean towards majoritarian ideology too much.
"Gen Z grew up during the stable and long dictatorship of Prayut Chan-o-cha. This dictatorship regime was conservative, inefficient and oppressed people. Gen Z grew up while hearing stories about how great a democratic government can be, so they desire to have that kind of government which they have not had before."
White ribbons used in a rally organised by youths.
Generational differences can lead to conflicts due to two factors -- immediate political factors and social structure, including the seniority system. Immediate political factors cause conflicts because conservative parties and democratic parties use "generations" to promote their political movements. For example, the Move Forward Party made the younger generation realise that they have the power to challenge that of adults. In contrast, conservative parties condemned the new generation as being evil. Their propaganda caused conflict between the young and older generations.
According to research data, the greater the age gap, the higher the level of dissatisfaction between younger and older people. However, the baby boomer generation is often unaware of this dissatisfaction.
"As Thailand upholds a seniority system, baby boomers hold power in every dimension," explained Asst Prof Kanokrat. "Therefore, every generation has to follow the baby boomers' lead including economic and political aspects. The younger generations have no chance to express their dissatisfaction, and baby boomers are not aware of it. Despite being loved by all previous generations, Gen Z is dissatisfied with every other generation. Gen Z are frustrated because they are powerless to express their discontent.
"When the young generation wants to participate in a rally or express their political opinion online, these actions cause family issues as they challenge the power structure held by adults, who typically give consent to participate in an activity. Conflicts range from arguments and turning away from each other to physical abuse, running away and breaking ties with families. This occurs even when parents are liberal because young people's actions challenged the seniority system which adults cannot allow."
Since the seniority system causes conflict between generations, can it be changed? Asst Prof Kanokrat responded that it is not easy because the seniority system in Thailand involves more than the family institution. It relates to the country's social, political and economic structures. Although parents may have an equality mindset, their children may still encounter the seniority system elsewhere.
"For example, if the young generation have to contact or work with government organisations, they will encounter a system that benefits people with seniority. However, the implementation of a state welfare system can diminish the significance of seniority like in the Western world," Asst Prof Kanokrat said.
"In our study, we discovered that many children said their parents dedicated their lives and worked extremely hard, so that they could go to school. However, in many Western countries, parents don't have to pay for their children's tuition, lunch and transportation. As a result, parents don't expect or pressure their children to take care of them when they get old. Children also can choose what they want to study because their parents do not pressure them to pursue a career that would be secure for their parents' well-being in the future."
The study also discovered that after rallies, conflicts within families stopped. One of the factors was that political parties stopped using "generational" attacks against opponents when they realised this propaganda obstructed their efforts to grow their base.
Kanokrat Lertchoosakul, lecturer at the Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University
"The study revealed that every generation supports abolishment of senatorial powers in co-selection of the prime minister, and also military conscription. After rallies, moderate conservatives were proud that their children participated in a political rally even though they had previously disagreed. During the general election, some young people were successful in convincing their parents and grandparents to vote for the Move Forward Party. However, the hierarchy structure in families has never changed."
The Pheu Thai Party and the Move Forward Party, today known as the People's Party, used to fight dictatorship together, but after the general election, the parties split and became oppositional. For her next research, Asst Prof Kanokrat aims to study the rivalry between these two.
"Following the split, we will examine how the parties will compete against each other. Their rivalry will provide insights into Thailand's future as both parties will hold the majority of people's votes. In the next 20 years, the baby boomer generation will have aged out and the ultraconservative will become a minority. As the representatives of these two parties grow older, how will they shape the future?"
