Identity formation of youths in a Tai Lue village in Laos: a process of didactic equilibration?

As has been highlighted by a number of authors (Condominas, 1968; Zago, 1972), a key feature of a Buddhist monastery is its function as a socializing institution. Traditionally, every male Tai Lue villager is received as a novice in a monastery once in his life. During his training, he must learn to read Tham (the old Tai Lue script), which will allow him to memorize Buddhist texts that he will need to recite at the monastery or in village ceremonies. This article attempts to show, through a process described using the model of didactic equilibration (Sensevy, 2011), how novices adopt a new way to ‘play the didactic game’ and a new thought style (Fleck, 1979). Gradually, the more they advance in didactic time, the more they are able to think like their elders and fully belong to the social group.