The Roles of Muslim Clubs in Higher Education Institutions towards the Problems of Southern Border Provinces : A Case Study of Nakhon Si Thammarat Rajabhat University

Abstract

The research aimed to (1) study the roles of Muslim Clubs in higher education institutes towards the problems of Southern Border provinces, and (2) study the problems and obstacles affecting the roles of Muslim Clubs of those institutes. The study was a qualitative research using the in-depth interview and the focus - group discussion. The committee and the advisors of the Clubs were the key informants. The study found that there were two types of roles: 1) the Role of Creativity, i.e. providing the knowledge of Muslim identity, coordinating between the Muslim and Non-Muslim society, shaping its second home of the members, and 2) the Role of Violence, i.e. the assembly of protest for both prevention and request, the strict /rigid rights, the inappropriateness of the information through online social media. The problems and obstacles were from both the internal factors, such as background and leadership of the club committee and the external factors, including the contexts of the society and culture together with the unrest of the Southern Border provinces.