Social Mobility of Muslim Cham:
An Anthropological Study in
Contemporary Cambodia
A case-study in Chong Khneas,
Siem Reap Province.
Presented by: THA LEANG ANG
4/7/2015
Phnom Penh, 2007 1
Contents
Introduction
Literature Review
Research Problems
Aim and Objectives
Methodologies
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Social mobility:
the movement of individuals & groups
b/w different class position as a result of
changes in occupation, wealth or income.
(Anthony Giddens et al, 2003)
Intra-generational mobility:
Inter-generational mobility:
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Intra-generational mobility
study of how far up or
down in the socioeconomic scale at an
individual moves
within the course of
his or her working life
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upward or downward
between
generations of a family.
Inter-generational mobility
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Approaches:
Industrialism Hypothesis: societies allow
for more mobility as they become more
technologically advanced.
Exchange mobility: Result from an
exchange in position on the socioeconomic scale such that talented people
move up the economic hierarchy while
the less talented move down.
Social Exclusion:
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Social Exclusion
It refers to “the ways in which
individuals may be cut off from full
involvement in the wider society. Social
exclusion can result from where one
lives, whether that is a rural area or the
inner city, private or public housing or
no home whatsoever.
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Literature Review:
- Categories of Muslims - William Collins
1. Chvea: around Kampot, speak Khmer
2. Jahed: also called "Kom Jumat" (The
Friday Group),
3. Cham: the trimeu modernists. √
devoted God's ordinances, ritual &liturgy
five specified times a day
=> “Muslim Cham” is used in the study.
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Source: William Collins
Historical Notes on Cham
Migration into Cambodia
1. The First Migration(1471): Fall of Vijaya
2. The Second(1692): Nguyen expansion
3. The Third Cham Migration(1795-96):
battleground in a Vietnamese civil war
4. The Fourth Migration(1830-35): illtreatment by Minh Menh
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Source: William Collins
Problem Statement:
Cham Status in different times
Sihanouk: the Khmer Islam ("Muslim
Khmers," the Cham-Malay community).
Khmer Republic: FULRO(Front Unifié de
Lutte des Races Oppriméesthe). Ex. Mr.
Les Kosem to political and military.
DK: targeted for persecution
PRK-SOC: a Cham prosecutor, Mat Ly.
Hopes for the future? Are they excluded?
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1. Islamic aid: textbooks, schools,
mosques and wells: International
Connections!
the Samakum Islam Kampuchea by Mat Ly
The Islamic Development Bank in Jiddah
the Committee of Association of
Development of Islamic Culture in
Southeast Asia in Cambodia, ....
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The Khmers have spies who watch
Islamic religious development and
teacher training for any political
implications. (Collins, 2007:62a)
Every Khmer citizens shall be equal before the
law, enjoying the same rights, freedom and
fulfilling the same obligations regardless of race,
color, sex, language, religious belief, political
tendency, birth origin, social status, wealth or
other status.
- Cambodian Constitution, Chapter III , Article 31.
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2. Education
“... the Chams avoid sending their children to
Khmer school for fear that the children
would become Khmer.”
“If the Chams learned their history, they
would look at a map and see Champa
engulfed by Vietnam. They would feel that
their country had been colonised, and
destroyed, ...make them angry... This is
why Cambodia,...cannot allow the Chams
to teach about their history and to develop
feelings of unity.” (Collins, 2007:62b)
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3. Livelihood: <= Religious?
Fishing, farming- A case of fisherwoman
Trade? “... We deceived them ... stealing
from them. That is why, since early times,
we did not seek a livelihood in buying and
selling. We feared sinning.”
have tried a lot for changes locally and
internationally
in great needs of development.
 Still, “the Chams remains poor and
ignorant.” (Collins, 2007:62b)
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Ⅲ. Aim & Objectives
aims to investigate the social mobility among
Muslim Cham in Chong Khneas, Siem Reap
Province, Cambodia.
Besides, several objectives, which are more
concise, are set to realize the aim.
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Ⅲ. Aim
& Objectives
Ⅲ. Aim
& Objectives
to explore the relationship b/w Muslim
belief and its followers’ business
to explore the linkage between social
mobility and physical mobility for the
location of one’s resident
to explore the relationship between the
educational & political factors and social
mobility among them, the Cham.
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Significance of the Study
To understand the nature of inequalities
that has been concerned by many people
or institution, but failed to reduce because
they do not have clear ideas about factors
which lead to such inequality, especially
inequalities among ethnic groups.
To contribute to the academic body with
knowledge of social mobility in Cambodia.
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Research Questions
Is there any correlation between Islam
religion and choice of jobs/business the
Muslim Cham make?
What is the linkage of social mobility
with broader economic situation of
Cham individual/household/community?
- What is the linkage of Cham social
mobility with education?
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Research Questions
What is the linkage of Cham social
mobility with political, including party
affiliation/clientism?
What is the linkage of Cham social
mobility with wider kin group?
What is the linkage of Cham social
mobility with wider language group?
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• Strict Practice
Religious
• Fear
• No willing to
participate
Educati
onal
• No opportunity
to participate
• Political will,
E.g. FULRO
• No ability?
• Rural
• Urban
Political
Geographical
Social
Capitals
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1)



Social Capital
Language Skill
Social mobility
Technological Skills
Political Connection
VI. Methodology
1. “focus groups”- six groups of Chams:
- 12 questions : to let them discuss
what the catalysts or constraints to
their (social) mobility are.
2. “family history” or “life history”- to trace the story of 10 Cham families
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Among the questions to be examined will
be to see if they are upward or
downward of their social mobility
comparing from the beginning they
started earning a living in both sites.
3. Interview with Muslim Chams in Chong
Khneas, southern of Phnom Krom, Siem
Reap.
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Chong Khneas, a floating village, is
located along the uttermost Northeastern
bank of the Tonle Sap River
The area has been very busy in economy
since its residents were working all the
time,
There were many tourists visiting the
villages at the time I was there.
In the whole commune, 6415 people
living in 1193 households. On average,
about 5 people live in each household.
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Since the villages locate on the river,
over 55% of the population have fishrelated occupation. Some go fishing for
selling while others become fishing
laborers, fish traders, and fish net/gear
makers and fish processors. (ADB,
2007)
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Thank you!
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