Rural Laos Research Articles

The Differentiation of Synaptic Leadership in Rural Laos

In Thailand and Laos modernization may lead to replacing multipurpose synaptor roles (such as displayed by village headmen) by more specialized, or differentiated synaptor roles.The observation of modern irrigation projects in Sayaboury, Laos supports this view. In one small irrigation system a new role of “lateral chief” has been created to act as a link (synaptor) between a small group of water users supplied from a common lateral and the extra-local irrigation agents of the national government. This specialized role links a subgroup of the village (a group of water users) with one unit of the government (the irrigation agency) and represents an initial differentiation of the multipurpose synaptor role of the village headman. That is, there are now two formal synaptor roles in the village in place of the formerly exclusive role performed by the village headman.

Culture Change in Laos and Serbia: Possible Tendencies Toward Universal Organizational Patterns

My objectives here are to attempt to identify some of the pertinent factors which may influence the extent to which similar types of institutions are emerging to serve shared goals in planned programs of economic and social development. Specifically I intend to limit my discussion to one major institutional category and a sub-culture in each of the two geographic areas under consideration: namely, the relationship between the villager and the state in rural Laos and in Serbia.