ABSTRACT
Every research project, as G. A. Hillery points out, is in reality an odyssey. Although one may have a definite destination, getting there usually involves the unexpected. This chapter aims to test the aforementioned model of crowding effects, a model derived mainly from the findings of prior studies conducted in North America. One of the fundamental difficulties in interpreting and extrapolating these findings to other societies stems from the fact that household crowding in North America is a typically low by world standards. The actual level of household crowding was allowed to vary, all focus group members were recruited from Bangkok slums and lower-class flats. Gender, level of household crowding, and household type became the defining characteristics for the focus groups. The focus groups added weight to the notion that the degree of household control has an important impact on how individuals respond to crowding.
