New Mandala

It’s been longer than I hoped since the first post in my new “Anthroblog” series. I have been diverted by administrative tasks. But I’ve found some time to return to the task…
As I indicated in the first post, for the time being I am focussing on Baan Tiam’s history, and the various ways in which [...]

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In early 2003 there was a flurry of interest in history in Baan Tiam, a small village in northern Thailand. Partly this was a result of the newly elected headman’s interest in initiating new projects that would raise the profile and prestige of the village. There were also central government initiatives aimed at promoting local culture. I attended a long meeting at the [...]

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New Mandala is currently experimenting with ways of linking blogging with more conventional forms of academic writing. Earlier this week we launched Four Letter Words to encourage guest contributors to write short essays that reflect on their scholarship and experience in mainland Southeast Asia.
Today I am announcing another, much more self-centred, initiative. I want to attempt to [...]

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