Abstract
This paper deals with the religious change in northeastern Thailand, indicating the transformation of social conditions that support the continuance of the customary religious practices of village people. The reason that operationally supposes religious practice as customary one is as follows :
1) The analysis of customary practice (habitus) that internalizes the social structure occupies a pivotal place to research both the formation and reproduction of social structure. Therefore, religious symbolism and rites of customary religious practice render that social configuration. Formerly, S.J. Tambiah noted the functional correlation between the reciprocal symbolism configuration and reciprocity between successive generations in both family and village community. However, if we proved that the reciprocal ethic found in a monk 's ordination or a memorial service for the dead, was normative for social process, we should validate the social context in which reciprocal ethic are relevant to social action. Actual life process and emic knowledge make that context.
2) To consider the conditions of continuance of customary religious practice could specify the causes of its change and/or persistence. Causes are whether or not a) rites change their performance ; b) the discourse of customary religious practice cannot be valid for the social context, e.g. in labour exchange and property inheritance ; c) the community where village members internalize customary religious practice vanishes.
This report uses data collected in 1993 from 103 households in a rural village in Udonthanii Province.
