Household Dynamics, Village Characteristics and Consumption Patterns in Nang Rong, Thailand

Susana B. Adamo, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Rural areas of developing countries have undergone a number of transformations, which include economic, social and demographic changes. These transformations have resulted in increasing heterogeneity, the fading of the identity between rural and agriculture, and a more “urbanized” lifestyle. In this context, the aim of the paper is to examine changes in consumption (looking at basic services, social services and durable goods) in relation to two sets of determinants, namely household dynamics and villages’ characteristics, in the rural district of Nang Rong, Thailand. The data come from a prospective and multilevel (individuals, households and villages) survey covering all the households in 51 villages of the district, fielded in 1984, 1994 and 2000. Preliminary results show, as expectd, the presence of overall changes in consumption between 1984 and 2000. They also highlight the role of the villages in the provision of and access to services, and the increasing differentiation among households.