A SYNTHESIS OF COMMUNITY CAPITALS FOR LIFE SKILLS DEVELOPMENT OF CHILDREN AND YOUTH PHU TAI ETHNIC GROUP TO PREVENT DRUG ABUSE IN THE NORTHEASTERN REGION OF THAILAND

Abstract

The objectives of this research were to 1) investigate the current conditions and impacts of
the drug problems on Phu Tai community, 2) study Phu Tai children’s life skills required for the
prevention of drug problems, and 3) synthesize the community capitals which were appropriate
for the development of life skills among children. This study employed research mixed methods.
The research area was a Phu Tai community located in the northeastern region of Thailand. The
key informants included community leaders, nurses from the District Health Promotion Hospital,
Subdistrict Administrative Organization staff, public health volunteers, local scholars, monks,
policemen, guardians, teachers, and children. These informants were selected using the purposive
sampling method. The total number of the informants was 32. In addition, 210 samples who were
children living in Phu Tai community were selected using the simple random sampling method to
answer the questionnaires. In the analysis of the data, the descriptive analysis and content analysis
were employed.
The results of the study showed that the drug problems in Phu Tai community were quite
serious. Many children used drugs which negatively affected their life, family, and community.
However, it was found that the children possessed a good level of life skills including the selfcontrol skill, self-perception skill, refusal skill, decision-making skill, and problem-solving skill.
In addition, the most outstanding community capitals of Phu Tai community are the culture capitals
and local wisdom capitals. Such capitals helped united Phu Tai people together. The integration of
the culture capitals and local wisdom capitals, especially Phu Tai traditional dance, would
definitely help develop the children’s life skills required for the prevention of drug problems.