สวดพระมาลัย : การศึกษาตามแนวชาติพันธุ์วรรณนาแห่งการสื่อสาร

Abstract

The purpose of this research aims to analyze the structure of communication situations in Chanting the Phra Malai and language that reflects culture from it. It used qualitative research method and had a group of population and a group of key informants derived from chanting group and the audience group. The researcher selected key informants using purposive sampling. This research had used the ethnographic theory of communication based on the SPEAKING framework of Del Heims to analyze the communication situations in chanting the Phra Malai. There are classified into 3 communication situations as following; chanting the Phra Malai at the funerals, public, and private events. The tools used in the research were documentary data, video recordings of the Phra Malai chanting and handwritten manuscripts, in-depth interviews and field observations. The findings showed that originally, Phra Malai chanting was only available at funerals in Surat Thani province. At present, there is an expansion of the prayer area to preserve the tradition, it will be chanted in the public and private events. Moreover, the structure of the communication situations in chanting the Phra Malai is a kind of communication for specific groups. Therefore, the nature of language is specific which is during and odds and ends chapters that will be used in funeral ceremonies, whereas when chanting Phra Malai is performed in public, and private events, only the odds and ends chapter is chanted. The chanting of Phra Malai has different characteristics. It is essential to understand the nature of the event, from the setting, the communicators, the purpose of the event, the sequence of the speech act, the tone, the communication tools, the norms of interaction, and the type of communication in each pattern of chanting Phra Malai in each situation. Language analysis that reflects culture can be classified into four aspects as follows; firstly, the language that reflects belief culture is based on Buddhist doctrines and superstitions. Secondly, the language that reflects the culture of local wisdom includes natural livelihoods, transportation, household architecture, tools, time signs, costumes, musical instruments, and funeral customs. Thirdly, the language that reflects the language culture that appears in the Phra Malai script is idioms, proverbs, pronouns according to the status of the speaker and those speaking with, use analogy, dialect and Pali language. Fourthly, the language that reflects the values of the culture are self-preservation and women's beauty values.