Thai Contexts: Past and Present

A launch of two books about research in Thailand

Designs on Pots: Ban Chiang and the Politics of Heritage in Thailand by Penny Van Esterik discusses the prehistoric site of Ban Chiang in northeast Thailand. The site challenges the national narrative of Thai origins, which begins and ends with Buddhism and the monarchy. The site was heavily looted in the early ’70s, followed by the entry of painted pottery into the art market and extensive faking. The life history of these pots raises issues around repatriation, fake antiquities as tourist souvenirs and the ethics of collecting, and demonstrates how heritage tourism intersects with the antiquities market in Asia.

Fire Dancers in Thailand’s Tourism Industry by Tiffany Pollock explores the evolution of fire dancing from informal community jam sessions into the iconic, tourist-oriented performances at beach parties and bars, through a close consideration of the role of affect in the lives of fire dancers. Dancers reveal how they employ affect to navigate their lives, art, and labor, showcasing how affect is not only a force that acts on people but also is used and shaped by social actors toward their own ends.

Penny Van Esterik is a professor emerita of anthropology, retired from York University. She is currently an adjunct professor at the University of Guelph. Her field work was primarily in Southeast Asia. She consulted with UNICEF, Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO) and International Development of Research Centre (IDRC) on topics related to food security and infant feeding, and has broad interests in the culture history of Southeast Asia.

Tiffany Pollock holds a PhD in gender, feminist and women’s studies and an MA in ethnomusicology. Her ethnographic research has focused on the intersections of migration, music and social life in Southeast Asia and in Canada.

All are welcome. This event is presented by the York Centre for Asian Research,