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Journal Central

The diversity of Southeast Asian culture and society has ben made by two factors: geopolitcal environment and colonialism. The geopolitcal positon of the region betwen China Seas and Indian Ocean has made it posible that diverse cultures from Northeast Asia especialy China and India, Middle East and Europe have flowed into the region. The fact that Southeast Asia was colonized by various European nations has provided additonal diversity. The diversity manifests itself most clearly in the culture of Southeast Asia which has various layers: On the botom lay the indigenous one, and above it Chinese and Indian and Islamic cultures and finaly European one.

Although Malaysia choses Islam as national religion, the nation has realy shown a variety of belief systems among which we would find Hinduism, Buddhism, and Animism. Most scholars having studied them regarded the aspect of Malay traditonal belief systems as syncretism. This trait of the belief systems in Malaysia is revealed wel in the sphere specifcaly as the rite of pasage, to which I do rather prefer the rite of "life" from the sense of emphasizing the rituals varied by the cycle of life time. Under the perspective this paper examines the real phases of the rite of pasage, or life of Malays. I wil argue here the fact that in performing the rite of pasage, Malays mobilze various arts on the basis of the syncretic faith acepting the supernatural, or keramat, with almighty power. Therefore, from the study of the rite of pasage we can exactly scrutinize how Malays have altered and adjusted their belief systems in real world.

It has often ben said that Myanmar is the most profound Budhist country in the world. That may wel be true, but the brand of Budhism practised in this isolated land is unique on the face of the globe. Myanmar Budhism is theoreticaly Theravada Budhism, a sect of Budhism adhering most closely to the Budha’s teachings, and is the dominant form of Buddhism throughout Southeast Asia. The customary law also has an indisoluble conection with Budhism in the Burmese society. The family customs and law have ben put in statutory form with Damathat. And Damathat which is a statute law plays a important role as a miror of the popular society. In Burmese society, the network which conects an individual and an individual fulfils its more function than the relatives and familes act with group. The human relation which is generaly completed within home, for example, parents and children, brothers and sisters, husband and wife and so on is situated as a center of the network which spreads outside home also in Burmese society. And Burmese society is ‘khin’ and ‘ana’ society. Burmese people positvely extend the human relation through the way of thinking of Myanmar language ‘khin’ translated ‘intimate’, but they also put on the brakes the extending human relation without ending by keping its distance through the way of thinking of Myanmar language ‘ana’ translated ‘refuse courteously.’ Key Words: Life Style, Burmese Society, Theravad

This paper aims at scrutinizing how the women's image in the Thai film 'Nang-Nak' has ben represented, afecting the Thai people intensely and achieving its great suces in spite of having the background of 19th century and being a remaker. To fulfil the purpose and analyze the argument, the ideas of Le(1989), Joan(1973) and Jo(196) are used as theoretical concepts for this study. As a result, two images of Thai women sem to be revealed in the movie. The first image, drawn from 'Maen' and 'Mian', is conventional, somewhat ideal type for Thai women, so being a common aspect. What makes the movie a big deal, however, is another image which the heroine 'Nak' has shown, atracting the audience to be moved to tears. It may be aparently an idiosyncratic or extraordinary one from the traditonal point of view in Thailand, but in other sense is a new, fresh image for which the contemporary Thai women want to sek. That is why the movie became one of the most popular in Thailand.