Cultural controversies in ASEAN and the impacts of building ASEAN identity

The study of cultural controversies in ASEAN indicates some ASEAN people lack understanding of their common culture. It becomes the cause of conflicts between two ASEAN countries and affects the being of the community. The objectives of the study are 1) to gather cultural controversies cases from clamming over common culture that widely debated on the internet 2) to investigate the causes of cultural controversies among ASEAN members such as controversy of traditions, arts and food including, study ASEAN common culture 3) to analyze the impacts of cultural controversies in term of building ASEAN Identity which is the key of being community, and 4) to study the ways of using social network to reduce disputed over common culture and enhance a better understanding. To analyze the issue of cultural controversy cases which studied widely debated cases on social media that it was used as fighting space for claims over common culture belongs to one country since January 2007 to December 2017. Even though people can access the internet easily to find the explanations for ending conflicts and make a better understanding of each other but people use the internet to spread the conflicts instead. This thesis used the concepts of cultural nationalism and cultural economy to explain causes of cultural controversies and point to the backgrounds of common culture in ASEAN to make people understand the connecting of ASEAN culture and strengthen a good understanding among ASEAN people.According to the study was found that causes of cultural controversies are the concept of cultural nationalism and cultural economy. These concepts cultivated and reproduced a sense of cultural ownership through historical study from basic education and media that reinforce national identity and national culture, as well as create a sense of national’s enemy. Especially, when culture becomes cultural products or services that help to increase income for people, it makes people very active to conserve culture belongs to their nation because culture is equal to national benefits. These causes make negative attitudes towards neighboring countries and effect to build ASEAN identity. But ASEAN could hope on young generation to build ASEAN identity because they do not pay much attention to nationalism as before. They also active to learn neighboring cultures and feel more connected through social media that is a good sign unity among people to achieve the goal of being a strong community in the future.