Identity of irregular teenagers in Myanmarese migrant worker communities in Mahachai, Samut Sakorn, Thailand

Abstract

This thesis attempts to answer the research question of how does irregular status help form shape the identity construction of the teenagers in Myanmarese migrant communities in Thailand? . To comprehensively analyze the condition of the teenagers, the impacts of statelessness on their experiences as teenagers in the migrant community compared to other irregular teenagers will be evaluated. Furthermore, the impacts of irregular status on the teenagers‟ accessibility to various services will also be assessed. Lastly, this thesis will also discuss the development of teenagers‟ identity as ongoing negotiation by considering their experience of exclusion, their sense of belonging to their community, and global subculture which they develop with their peers. Irrespective of their citizenship status, teenagers in the migrant communities are still excluded and experience insecurity due to their ,,irregular‟ status in Thai society. They are influenced by experiences of being denied the rights and after encounter discriminatory treatment socially and structurally. The Feeling of excludsion feelings affect the teenagers and keep them from building their identity. They struggle and compromise their identity every day within their surrounding social and cultural environment in Thailand. Thus, self-negotiation of identity of these teenagers who are in their developing stage is very interesting and should be investigated. Based on the analysis to the research findings, the core argument of this thesis is regardless of rights and services which can be accessed by the teenagers in the marginalized groups, so they can still develop their own identity