Interpretive Public Policy A Case Study of the Rattnakosin City Conservation and Development Policy in the Supreme Court Building Construction Project

Abstract

This article aims to present a study of interpretive public policy through a case study of Rattanakosin city conservation and development policy in the Supreme Court building construction project. The study process is as follows: 1) Study secondary data by studying and collecting information from documents, textbooks, research papers, and information from electronic media. 2) Study primary data by collecting field data by observing buildings, architecture, and related contexts. 3) Gather information by categorizing, organizing, and formatting information from different sources. 4) Study and analyze data to find and interpret symbols or implications from policy artifacts. Summarize the meanings found in the framework of the research concepts defined and analyzing the relationship between the findings and political ideology. And 5) a summary of the research results. answer research questions and present the research results.The study results are as follows. According to study interpretive public policy, a case study of Rattanakosin city conservation and development policy in the Supreme Court building construction project.    It was found that the connotative meaning of policy showed that policymakers aimed to convey the discourse of the state which was hidden in policy artifacts, to persuade the values and beliefs of the people, create a scene for the judiciary to accept the authority of the monarchy. The monarchy was pushed to become the source of the legitimacy of the democratic state. Policy discourse reconstructed and transmitted myths about Thai identity and ideology of royal nationalism. Policymakers want to remove multiculturalism from context in order to balance the power relations and collective attitudes desired by the state. Additionally, through the study of the relationship between the Supreme Court building as an invention of policy and political ideology, it was revealed that the Supreme Court building served as an ideological messenger for the state. Its purpose was to propagate discourses and establish myths to fix the meaning of state discourse. Therefore, the design of the Office of the Supreme Court shares a connection that corresponds to and supports the architectural concept, as well as the transmission of political ideology. Within the context of the inner Rattanakosin period, the building conveyed a conservative discourse of royal nationalism through symbolic architectural elements. This influence played a pivotal role in shaping and guiding the formation of shared societal attitudes, aligning with the government's intentions. Architecture provides governments with a powerful tool to communicate discourses, ideas, and ideologies to the public. Due to its tangible nature, architecture can be easily reproduced and emphasized, thereby giving rise to discourses, ideas, or ideologies that can be readily transformed into prevailing myths that hold sway over the public.