This essay focuses on a form of unidirectional giving current in Theravada Buddhism: the institution of merit making as practiced in northern Thailand. Many scholars have noted its centrality in village religious practices but have failed to locate it within the broader context of class stratification. As a result, the prevailing paradigm of merit making misrepresents the character of the recipients, the donors, and their mutual interaction. This essay argues that cross‐class, unidirectional forms of giving such as charity may be important in mediating hegemony and resistance in complex societies.
目次
The Significance of Class 469 Poverty of a Paradigm: Of Monks and Beggars 470 Wealth in a Paradigm: Constraints on Donorship 473 Merit Making: A Weapon of the Weak 474 The Alchemy of Giving: Hegemony and Resistance 476 Conclusion 477 Notes 478 References Cited 479
