Buddhism and Ethnicity: Social Organization of a Buddhist Temple in Kelantan

This anthropological study deals with the social organization of a Buddhist temple in a Siamese village and illustrates that there is a binding and interdependent relationship between Buddhism and the Siamese; the religion underscores Siamese ethnicity in the same way that Islam does to Malay. Strong attachment to, and deep involvement of the Siamese in, the religion are among the main factors that contribute to the persistence and continuity of Theravada Buddhism, which in turn helps to perpetuate Siamese expression of ethnicity.