Development of Cultural Management and Inheritance by Community Participation

Abstract

Problem statement: Museums were places where all collections, which indicated values of arts and cultural heritages that were useful for learning, were kept. Establishment of museums was successful by having development, systematic management, cultural inheritance, knowledge transferring, participation and support. Approach: This study aimed to study backgrounds of museum development in temples in the area of the lower northeastern, to study current conditions and problems about museum management in temples and cultural management with community participation in the lower northeastern and to study development and management of museum in temples and cultural inheritance by community participation in the lower northeastern. This research was a qualitative research and conducted by literature review and field data collecting with interviewing, observations, focus group discussions and workshops with 170 persons from group of key informants, casual informants and related agencies. Data were analyzed with cultural diffusion theory and presented results in form of descriptive analysis. Results: The study revealed that backgrounds of museum development in temple were initiated by monks, who collected things in old building without systematic exhibition, labeling of donators or source indicating. Most of collections were things in that community such as traditional utensil donated to temple when they were unused and the rest was from other communities. After having many of collections, monks asked community for fund raising to construct museum building in the area of that temple. Moreover, things from discovering of local archeological sites were also kept in museum and there were many visitors. After that an agency of Fine Arts Department came to study and research by using budgets for the second exploring such local archeological sites and then kept in buildings of temple museum. Currently, it was found that; (1) there was a simple management on antiques of 1500-3000 years ago, agricultural equipments aged of 60 yeas up, but they were still lacking of contents to indicate their values and importance and monks played their roles as curators. Collections were temporally kept in some building or under construction for being permanent museum and had not any registration. (2) For cultural inheritance there were activities on annual local traditions of festivals and opened for teachers, students and pupils to study bodies of knowledge in the museum and (3) for participation, temple and community would coordinate teachers to attend meeting on temple activities. Development of museum in temple, it was found that; (1) Body of knowledge management in temple was operated by a working group consisted of curator and museum controller. For museum building, there were exhibitions with good space for allocation and suggestion from experts to register collections. Museum was also provided with car park and toilets both in and outside building. (2) For cultural inheritance, there was indigenous knowledge transfer, local historical investigation, students and teachers came to learn and be trained as guides. (3) In aspect of participation, museum management was in form of collaborated working by meeting, planning, activities providing and decision making. A joint committee was appointed by temple to cooperation among temple, community and schools. Conclusion/Recommendations: Museum development in temple by community participation for supporting body of knowledge in museum and did their duty in maintenance was reducing burdens both of temple and government sector. Museum would be maintained by development of educational benefits for the next generations. Meanwhile, related agencies should support, assist, suggest and frequently survey data of museum in temple. These were for transferring to community with knowledge, development, management and maintenances all collections in museum. Finally, community should provide museum in temple with guide training, security guards and analyzing works step-by-step for further development.