The Social Sciences

Year: 2016
Volume: 11
Issue: 3
Page No. 357 - 363

Fabric Woven Process to Commercialin the New Economic Mechanism in Laos

Authors : Kasem Manarungwit, Niyom Wongphongkham and Mongkhol Donkwa

Abstract: A culture that has been integrated into the livelihood of Lao women has been maintaining from the past until now is the fabric weaving. Due to the globalization and the changes of the way of living, national administration and materialism, this becomes the important role of Loa women’s fabric weaving and process in terms of Loa culture and economy. This research was to study Loa fabric weaving evolution and to study the Lao fabric woven process to commercial in the new economic mechanism. This study was conducted by using literatures and field observation and interviews in Vientiane with 23 samples which consisted of experts, academics and practitioners. The results found that the Lao fabric woven process to commercial in the new economic mechanism was for wearing and portraying the inherited culture. Without concrete evidence but verbally, this culture has been existing for >7,000 years. According to Chinese history, Laos had traded silks and fabrics with China during Tang era around year 618-906. This trading at that timewas commonin Asian countries that allowed the flow of goods. Since then, it led to art transference in fabric weaving process. During the colonial age, some countries that came for trading or colonizing brought their own cultures into the governed countries that turned to be the livelihood as a part of living of local people until the national administration was altered into the new economic era. The government proposed an economic plan aiming to change the agricultural-based to industrialized community to resolve the poverty. The livelihood alteration to fit in global economy led to the trading change in fabric woven process in aspect of marketing. It could be divided into two groups, the fabric woven process and fabric market. Firstly, the conventional fabric woven process, it used materials and motif patterns obtained from ancestors that exhibited the original culture. Most of the products were for domestic markets distributed by middle merchants who played an important role in controlling the fabric price. The second group was mainly for demands from outside the country to respond the individual customer need. This type of market needed the process and procedure in marketing, producing and motif patterns that could compete with other producers. The customer took the price of the product as the first priority that lessened the cultural originality in the fabrics, only handicraft by Lao women remained.

How to cite this article:

Kasem Manarungwit, Niyom Wongphongkham and Mongkhol Donkwa, 2016. Fabric Woven Process to Commercialin the New Economic Mechanism in Laos. The Social Sciences, 11: 357-363.

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