Research & Article

This essay is a brief summary of general ethnographic data which I gathered during my recent field research among the Mons in Thailand. In the light of the almost total lack of published literature on contemporary Mons, and of the relative inaccessability of the little which exists, I have tried to present as much information as possible in this limited space. My hope is that the information will be useful to others who might contemplate further research among the Mon people. I shall begin with a few words of orientation about the history, location, linguistic affinities, numbers, and economy of present day Mons. I shall then turn to a discussion of the origins and nature of traditional Mon society and culture in Thailand; this will serve as a point of reference for the discussion of the Mon society and culture of today, and of the meaning of an individual's being Mon. I shall conclude with a few suggestions on the sociological implications of the Mon case.