LOCAL MUSEUMS AND CULTURAL HERITAGE PRESERVATION OF THE LOCAL COMMUNITY

Abstract

Local Museums are important mechanisms in the preservation of the cultural heritage of local communities that developed from the pattern of accumulation of cultural objects to the form of the collective learning process. These patterns contributed in the process of establishing and operating local museums which led to links with community development in various issues as well as mechanisms to preserve the cultural heritage of local communities. The objective of this article is to compare the changes in the local community with regards to the dimension of cultural heritage conservation of communities in local museums (as case studies of a collective learning process in the operation) in the periods before the establishment of local museums, and after the establishment of local museums. The four museums that were used as case studies are; Ban Kao Yee-san Folklore Museum (Samutsongkram province), Muang Temple Folklore Museum ( Rachaburi province), Samchuk Life Museum (Suphanburi province) and Tai-Yuan Cultural Center (Saraburi province).