Vietnam
Culture
Name
Vietnamese
Orientation
Identification. The
name Vietnam originated in 1803 when envoys from the newly founded Nguyen
dynasty traveled to Beijing to establish diplomatic relations with the Chinese
court. The new emperor had chosen the name Nam Viet for his
kingdom. The word Viet he derived from the traditional name
for the Vietnamese imperial domain and its people in what is now northern and
central Vietnam. Nam (south) had been added to acknowledge the
expansion of the dynasty's domain into lands to the south. The Chinese objected
to this new name because it was the same as an ancient state that had rebelled
against Chinese rule. They therefore changed it to Viet Nam. Vietnamese
officials resented the change and it did not attain public acceptance until the
late 1800s.
The story of the origin of Vietnam's name captures several prominent
themes that have run throughout the nation's history. As the usage of Viet
indicates, the Vietnamese have for centuries had a sense of the distinctiveness
of their society and culture. However, as the inclusion of Nam shows, the land
they inhabit has expanded over time, and also has its own internal divisions
into northern, central, and southern regions. Additionally, as evidenced by the
name change, their history has been profoundly influenced by their contact with
other, often more powerful, groups.
Vietnam today stands at a crossroads. It has been at peace for over a
decade, but since the 1986 introduction of the "Renovation" or Doi
Moi policy that began dismantling the country's socialist economy in
favor of a market economy, the country has experienced tremendous social
changes. Some have been positive, such as a general rise in the standard of
living, but others have not, such as increased corruption, social inequality,
regional tensions, and an HIV-AIDS epidemic. The Communist Party still
exercises exclusive control over political life, but the question of whether
Vietnam will continue its socio-economic development in a climate of peace and
stability remains uncertain at the beginning of the twenty-first century.
Location and Geography. Vietnam
occupies approximately 127,243 square miles (329,560 square kilometers), an
area roughly equivalent to New Mexico, and is situated between 8 and 24 degrees
latitude and 102 and 110 degrees longitude. It borders China in the north, Laos
in the northeast and center, and Cambodia in the southwest. Its 2,135 miles
(3,444 kilometers) of coastline run from its border with Cambodia on the Gulf
of Thailand along the South China Sea to its border with China. The delineation
of Vietnam's borders has been a focus of dispute in the post–1975 period,
notably the ownership disputes with China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan,
and Malaysia over the Spratly Islands; and with China and Taiwan over the
Paracel Islands. Recent progress has been made settling land border disputes
with China and Cambodia. The Vietnamese culturally divide their country into
three main regions, the north ( Bac Bo ), center ( Trung
Bo ), and south ( Nam Bo ), with Hanoi, Hue, and Ho
Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) serving as the main cities of each region.
Hanoi, the site of the former capital of one of the country's earliest
dynasties, has been the capital of the unified Vietnam since 1976.
Vietnam contains a wide-variety of agro-economic zones. The river
deltas of Vietnam's two great rivers, the Red River in the north and the Mekong
in the south, dominate those two regions. Both deltas feature irrigated rice
agriculture that depends on the annual monsoons and river water that is
distributed through immense and complicated irrigation systems. Irrigated rice
agriculture is also practiced in numerous smaller river deltas and plains along
the country's coast. Vietnam's western salient is defined by the mountainous
Annamite Cordillera that is home to most of the country's fifty-four ethnic
groups. Many of these groups have their own individual adaptations to their
environments. Their practices include hunting and gathering, slash and burn
agriculture, and some irrigated rice agriculture. The combination of warfare,
land shortages, population surpluses, illegal logging, and the migration of
lowlanders to highland areas has resulted in deforestation and environmental
degradation in many mountainous areas. The country is largely lush and
tropical, though the temperature in the northern mountains can cool to near
freezing in the winter and the central regions often experience droughts.
Demography. The
current population is approximately seventy-seven million composed almost
exclusively of indigenous peoples. The largest group is the ethnic Vietnamese
( Kinh ), who comprise over 85 percent of the population.
Other significant ethnic groups include the Cham, Chinese, Hmong, Khmer, Muong,
and Tai, though none of these groups has a population over one million.
Expatriates of many nationalities reside in urban areas. The country's two
largest population centers are Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, but over 75 percent
of the population lives in rural areas. The country's birth rate, estimated to
increase at 1.37 percent per year, has led to rapid population growth since the
1980s with approximately 34 percent of the population under 14 years of age.
Linguistic Affiliation. Vietnamese
is the dominant language, spoken by an estimated 86.7 percent of the
population. It is a tonal Mon-Khmer language with strong Chinese lexical
influences. The six-toned dialect of the central Red River delta region,
particularly around Hanoi, is regarded as the language's standard form, but
significant dialectical variations exist between regions in terms of the number
of tones, accents, and vocabulary. Dialectical differences often serve as
important symbols of regional identity in social life.
As the official language, Vietnamese is taught in schools throughout
the country. Since the 1940s, Vietnamese governments have made great progress
in raising literacy rates and approximately 90 percent of the adult population
is literate. During the twentieth century the country's elite have mastered a
variety of second languages, such as French, Russian, and English, with the
latter being the most commonly learned second language today. Linguists
estimate that approximately eighty-five other languages from the
Austro-Asiatic, Austronesian, Daic, Miao-Yiao, and Sino-Tibetan language
families are indigenous to the country. These range from languages spoken by
large numbers of people, such as Muong (767,000), Khmer (700,000), Nung
(700,000), Tai Dam (over 500,000), and Chinese (500,000), to those spoken by
only a few hundred people, such as O'Du, spoken by an estimated two hundred
people. Many minority group members are bilingual, though not necessarily with
Vietnamese as their second language.
Symbolism. The
Vietnamese government extensively employs a number of symbols to represent the
nation. These include the flag, with its red background and centered,
five-pointed gold star; a variety of red and gold stars; the image of Ho Chi
Minh; and representations of workers and soldiers. Images and statues of the
latter, wearing green pith helmets and carrying weapons, are common in public
places. Images of Ho are ubiquitous, adorning everything from currency to
posters on buildings to the portraits of him commonly found hanging in northern
Vietnamese homes. Ho was a strong advocate of national unity and referred to
all Vietnamese as "children of one house." Other commonly visible
symbols are the patterns of seabirds and other figures featured on Dong Son drums.
These drums, manufactured by early residents of northern Vietnam in the first
and second millennia B.C. , represent the nation's antiquity.
Since Vietnam began developing its tourist industry in the late 1980s,
a number of other images have become commonplace, such as farmers in conical
hats, young boys playing flutes while riding on the back of buffalo, and women
inao dai , the long-flowing tunic that is regarded as the national
dress.
History
and Ethnic Relations
Emergence of the Nation. Many
Vietnamese archeologists and historians assert that the origins of the
Vietnamese people can be reliably traced back to at least the fifth or sixth
millennium B.C. when tribal groups inhabited the western regions of
the Red River delta. A seminal event in the solidification of Vietnamese
identity occurred in 42 B.C.E. when China designated the territory as
its southern-most province and began direct rule over it. China would rule the
region for almost one thousand years, thereby laying the foundation for the
caution and ambivalence that Vietnamese have felt for centuries toward their
giant northern neighbor. The Vietnamese reestablished their independence in
938. The next thousand years saw a succession of Vietnamese dynasties rule the
country, such as the Ly, Tran, Le, and Vietnam's last dynasty, the Nguyen
(1802–1945). These dynasties, though heavily influenced by China in terms of
political philosophy and organizational structure, participated in the
articulation of the uniqueness of Vietnamese society, culture, and history.
This period also saw the commencement of the "Movement South" ( Nam
Tien )in which the Vietnamese moved south from their Red River delta
homeland and gradually conquered southern and central Vietnam. In the process,
they displaced two previously dominant groups, the Cham and Khmer.
The modern Vietnamese nation was created from French colonialism.
France used the pretext of the harassment of missionaries to begin assuming
control over Vietnam in the 1850s. By 1862 it had set up the colony of
Cochinchina in southern Vietnam. In 1882 it invaded northern Vietnam and forced
the Vietnamese Emperor to accept the establishment of a French protectorate
over central and northern Vietnam in 1883. This effectively brought all of
Vietnam under French control. The French colonial regime was distinguished by
its brutality and relentless exploitation of the Vietnamese people. Resistance
to colonial rule was intense in the early years, but weakened after the late
1890s. The situation began to change dramatically in the late 1920s as a number
of nationalist movements, such as the Indochinese Communist Party (formed in
1930) and the Vietnam Nationalist Party (formed in 1927), became more
sophisticated in terms of organization and ability. Such groups grew in strength
during the turmoil of World War II. On 19 August 1945 an uprising occurred in
which Vietnamese nationalists overthrew the Japanese administration then
controlling Vietnam. On 2 September 1945 Ho Chi Minh officially established the
Democratic Republic of Vietnam. The French attempted to reassert control over
Vietnam by invading the country in December 1946. This launched an eight-year
war in which the Vietnamese nationalist forces, led primarily by the Vietnamese
Communists, ultimately forced the French from the country in late 1954. Vietnam
was divided into North and South Vietnam for the next twenty-one years.
During this period the North experienced a socialist revolution. In
1959 North Vietnam began implementing its policy to forcibly reunify the
country, which led to outbreak of the American War in Vietnam in the early
1960s. This concluded on 30 April 1975 when North Vietnamese soldiers captured
the city of Saigon and forced the surrender of the South Vietnamese government.
On 1 January 1976 the Vietnamese National Assembly declared the establishment
of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, thereby completing the reunification of
the Vietnamese nation.
National Identity. National
identity is a complex and contentious issue. One of the most basic components
is the Vietnamese language. Many Vietnamese are tremendously proud of their
language and its complexities. People particularly enjoy the rich opportunities
for plays on words that come from its tonal nature and value the ability to
appropriately use the countless number of adages and proverbs enshrined in the
language. Vietnamese also have an attachment to their natural world. The
expression "Vietnamese land" (dat Viet) , with its
defining metaphors of mountains and rivers, encapsulates the notion that
Vietnamese society and culture have an organic relationship to their
environment. Another important component of national identity is the set of
distinctive customs such as weddings, funerals, and ancestor worship that
Vietnamese perform. These are subject to a great deal of regional and
historical variation, but there is a perceived core that many regard as
uniquely Vietnamese, especially the worship of patrilineal ancestors by
families. Vietnamese food, with its ingredients and styles of preparation
distinct from both China and other Southeast Asian nations, also defines the
country and its people.
Contemporary national identity's contentiousness derives from the
forced unification of the country in 1975. Prior to this, the northern sense of
national identity was defined through its commitment to socialism and the
creation of a new, revolutionary society. This identity had its own official
history that celebrated such heroes as Ho Chi Minh and others who fought
against colonialism, but rejected many historical figures associated with the
colonial regime, the Nguyen dynasty, and what it regarded as the
prerevolutionary feudal order. South Vietnamese national identity rejected
Communism and celebrated a different set of historical figures, particularly
those that had played a role in the Nguyen dynasty's founding and preservation.
After unification, the government suppressed this history and its heroes. The
northern definition of national identity dominates, but there remains alternate
understandings among many residents in the southern and central regions.
Ethnic Relations. Vietnam
is home to fifty-four official ethnic groups, the majority of which live in
highland areas, although some large groups such the Cham or Chinese live in
lowland or urban areas. Since the mid-1980s, relations between ethnic groups
have generally been good, but conflict has been present. The most frequent
problem is competition for resources, either between different highland groups
or between highland groups and lowland groups that have settled in the midlands
and highlands. Some minority group members also feel discriminated against and
resent governmental intrusion in their lives. The government, which at one
level supports and celebrates ethnic diversity, has had complicated relations
with groups it fears might become involved in anti-government activities. This
has been the case with several highland groups in northern and central Vietnam,
the ethnic Chinese, many of whom fled Vietnam at the time of the Vietnam War
and China's brief border war in 1979, and expatriate Vietnamese who have
returned to Vietnam.
Urbanism,
Architecture, and the Use of Space
Vietnam's cities carry the architectural traces of the many phases of
its history. The city of Hue, capital of the Nguyen dynasty, features the
Citadel and other imperial structures, such as the mausolea of former emperors.
In 1993 UNESCO designated the Citadel and other imperial sites as a part of
their World Heritage List and have subsequently begun renovations to repair the
extensive damage they received in the 1968 Tet Offensive. The French left
behind an impressive legacy of colonial architecture, particularly in Hanoi,
Hue, and Saigon. Colonial authorities meticulously planned these cities,
creating wide, tree-covered avenues that were lined with impressive public
buildings and private homes. Many of these structures still serve as government
offices and private residences. Following the division of the country in 1954,
South Vietnam saw an increase in functional American-style buildings, while
North Vietnam's
Eastern Bloc allies contributed to the construction of massive concrete
dormitory housing. The 1990s brought an array of new architectural styles in
the cities as people tore down houses that had for years been neglected and
constructed new ones, normally of brick and mortar. New construction has
removed some of the colonial flavor of the major cities.
City residents often congregate to sit and relax at all hours of the
day in parks, cafes, or on the street side. The busiest locations during the
day are the markets where people buy fresh meat, produce, and other essentials.
Religious structures such as Christian churches, Buddhist temples, and spirit
shrines are often crowded to capacity on worship days. Almost all lowland
communities have structures dedicated to the war and revolution. These range in
size from a large monument for war dead in Hanoi to the numerous cemeteries and
cenotaphs for the war dead in towns and villages across the nation. These sites
only commemorate those who fought for the victorious north, leaving those who
served the south officially uncommemorated.
Vietnamese rural villages feature a variety of architectural styles.
Village residents in lowland river deltas usually live in family compounds that
feature one or more rectangular-shaped houses made of brick and mortar.
Compounds often have large open areas on the ground for drying rice. Village
homes are normally built extremely close to each other, creating nuclear or
semi-nuclear settlements surrounded by agricultural fields. Historically,
villages planted dense stands of bamboo around their communities to define
their boundaries and protect them from trespassers, though these are
disappearing. In poor areas, such as in the central provinces of Nghe An and
Quang Binh, many families still live in thatched houses.
Regardless of their type, the main entrance to most homes is in the
center of the long side, directly before the family ancestral altar. Kitchens,
regarded as women's spaces, are on the side. Lowland villages have a variety of
sacred spaces, such as Buddhist temples, spirit shrines, lineage halls, and the
communal house (a sacred structure that houses the village guardian spirit's
altar). These spaces normally have behavioral restrictions such as prohibitions
against entry while in a polluted state to protect their sacredness. Highland
minority groups often live in either thatched houses or in houses raised on
stilts.
Many of these houses maintain discrete spaces defined by age or gender.
Food
and Economy
Read more about the Food
and Cuisine of Vietnam.
Food in Daily Life. Rice
is the dietary staple which most people eat three meals a day. Rice is usually
consumed jointly by family members. The common practice is to prepare several
dishes that are placed on a tray or table that people sit around. Individuals
have small bowls filled with rice, and then take food from the trays as well as
rice from their bowls with chopsticks. Vietnamese often accompany these main
dishes with leafy vegetables and small bowls of salty sauces in which they dip
their food. Popular dishes include sauteed vegetables, tofu, a seafood-based
broth with vegetables called canh, and a variety of pork,
fish, or meat dishes. A common ingredient for cooked dishes and the dipping
sauces is salty fish sauce ( nuoc mam ). Another important
family practice is the serving of tea from a small tea pot with small cups to
guests. Northern cuisine is known for its subtle flavors, central cuisine for
its spiciness, and southern cuisine for its use of sugar and bean sprouts. Diet
varies with wealth; the poor often have limited amounts of protein in their
diets and some only have the means to eat rice with a few leafy vegetables at
every meal.
The major cities feature restaurants offering Vietnamese and
international cuisines, but for most Vietnamese, food consumed outside of the
home is taken at street-side stalls or small shops that specialize in one dish.
The most popular item is a noodle soup with a clear meat-based broth calledpho .
Many Vietnamese regard this as a national dish. Other foods commonly
consumed at these sites include other types of rice or wheat noodle soups,
steamed glutinous rice, rice porridge, sweet desserts, and "common
people's food" ( com binh dan ), a selection of normal
household dishes. There are no universal food taboos among Vietnamese, although
some women avoid certain foods considered "hot," such as duck, during
pregnancy and in the first few months after giving birth. The consumption of
certain foods has a gendered dimension. Dishes such as dog or snake are
regarded as male foods and many women avoid them. Some minority groups have
taboos on the consumption of certain food items considered either sacred or
impure.
Food Customs at Ceremonial Occasions. Food
consumption is a vital part of ritual celebrations.
Historically, villagers held feasts after the conduct of rites
dedicated to village guardian spirits, but revolutionary restrictions on
resource consumption in these contexts has largely eliminated such feasts.
Feasts held after weddings and funerals remain large and have increased
in size in recent years. The most popular feast items are pork, chicken, and
vegetable dishes served with rice. Liberal amounts of alcohol are also served.
In the countryside this usually takes the form of locally-produced contraband
rice spirits, while feasts in the cities often feature beer or imported
spirits. Feasts are socially important because they provide a context through
which people maintain good social relations, either through the reciprocation
of previous feast invitations or the joint consumption of food. Other important
occasions for feasting are the death anniversaries of family ancestors and the
turning of the Lunar New Year or Tet .
Many of the foods served on these occasions are similar, although the
latter has some special dishes, such as a square of glutinous rice, pork and
mung bean cake called banh trung. These feasts are
comparatively smaller and, unlike the weddings and funerals, generally are
confined to family members or close friends.
Basic Economy. Despite
efforts at industrialization after 1954, agriculture remains the foundation of
the economy. The 1998 Vietnam Living Standards Survey showed that over 70
percent of the total population engaged in farming or farm-related work.
Vietnam imports few basic agricultural commodities, and the majority of the
items people consume are grown or produced in Vietnam.
Land Tenure and Property. The
Vietnamese government, in line with socialist ideology, does not legally
recognize private land ownership. Since the early 1990s, the government has
made moves to recognize de facto land ownership by granting individuals
long-term leaseholds. This trend received more formal recognition with the
passage of the 1998 Land Law. Control over land is extremely contentious. With
the recent growth of a market economy, land has become an extremely valuable
commodity, and many cases of corrupt officials illegally selling land-use
rights or seizing it for personal uses have been reported.
Ambiguities in the law and the lack of transparent legal processes
exacerbate tensions and make land disputes difficult to resolve.
Commercial Activities. Agricultural
and manufactured products are sold both retail and wholesale. Cities, towns,
and villages all feature markets, most of which are dominated by petty traders,
normally women. The most commonly sold commodities are foodstuffs and household
items such as salt, sugar, fish sauce, soaps, clothing, fabric, tableware, and
cooking implements. Major purchases such as household appliances, bicycles, or
furniture are often made in specialty stalls in larger markets or in stores in
towns and cities. Currency is used for most transactions, but the purchase of
real estate or capital goods requires gold. The number of open market
wage-laborers has increased in recent years.
Major Industries. Industrial
output is evenly split between the state-owned, private, and foreign sectors.
Since the late 1980s, Vietnam has actively promoted foreign investment,
resulting in a very rapid growth in output by that sector. International
corporations have been most active in mining, electronics assembly, and the
production of textiles, garments, and footwear, usually for export. Corruption
and an unclear legal system have severely limited Vietnam ability to attract
additional foreign investment since the 1997 Asian financial crisis. Vietnamese
state-owned factories produce a number of commodities for local consumption,
such as cigarettes, textiles, alcohol, fertilizer, cement, food, paper, glass,
rubber, and some consumer appliances. Private firms are still relatively small
in size and number, and are usually concentrated in agricultural processing and
light industry. Many complain that state interference, an undeveloped
commercial infrastructure, and a confusing and ineffective legal system inhibit
their growth and success.
Trade. Vietnam's
international trade relations have grown considerably since the early 1990's.
Major exports include oil, marine products, rubber, tea, garments, and
footwear. The country is one of the world's largest exporters of coffee and
rice. It sells most of its rice to African nations. Its largest trading
partners for other commodities include Japan, China, Singapore, Australia, and
Taiwan.
Division of Labor. Vietnamese
of all ages work. As soon as they are able, young children begin helping out
around the house or in the fields. Men tend to perform heavier tasks, such as
plowing, construction, or heavy industrial work while women work in the garment
and footwear sectors. Individuals with post-secondary school educations hold
professional positions in medicine, science, and engineering. The lack of a
post-secondary education is generally not a barrier to occupying high-ranking
business or political positions, though this had begun to change by the late
1990s. National occupational surveys show that only slightly more than 16
percent of the population is engaged in professional or commercial occupations,
while just under 84 percent of the population is engaged in either skilled or
unskilled manual labor.
Social
Stratification
Classes and Castes. The
vast majority of the contemporary Vietnamese population is poor. The average
annual earnings in the 1990s for a family is estimated at $370. There has been
an increase in social stratification based upon wealth, particularly in urban
areas where some individuals, often with links to business or the government,
have become very wealthy. Another important axis of stratification is the
distinction between mental and manual labor. Given the recent origin of this
wealth-based stratification and the widespread poverty, these groups have yet
to congeal into clearly-defined classes.
Symbols of Social Stratification. The
most prominent contemporary symbols of social stratification are consumer
goods. Two of the most common symbols are the possession of a motorcycle,
particularly one of Japanese manufacture, and a mobile phone. Other items
include refrigerators, televisions, video players, gold jewelry, and imported
luxury goods, such as clothing or liquor. Some individuals also assert their
status through large wedding feasts. For the very wealthy, automobiles, foreign
travel, and expensive homes are important status symbols. Many of the poor ride
bicycles, wear old and sometimes tattered clothing, and live in thatched homes.
Political
Life
Government. Vietnam
is a socialist republic with a government that includes an elected legislature,
the national assembly, a president as head of state, and a prime minister as
head of government. However, real political power lies with the Vietnamese
Communist Party. Party members hold virtually all executive and administrative
positions in the government. The party's Fatherland Front determines which
candidates can run in elections and its politburo sets the guidelines for all
major governmental policy initiatives. The most powerful position in the
country is the Communist Party general secretary. Other important positions are
the prime minister, the president, the minister of public security, and the
chief of the armed forces. Women and members of Vietnam's ethnic groups are
nominally represented in the government. One of the most sensitive issues the
government faces is balancing regional interests.
Leadership and Political Officials. The
Communist Party pressures its members to serve as examples of political virtue.
The image they employ as their ideal leader is Ho Chi Minh. Ho was a devoted
revolutionary who lived a life of simplicity, avoided corruption, behaved in a
fair and egalitarian manner, and put the nation and revolution above his own
personal interests. Party members and others often invoke the numerous moral
adages coined by Ho during his life as a benchmark for social and political
morality. Ho's popularity is greatest in the north. Residents of other regions
sometimes have more ambivalent feelings about him.
Local political officials often are caught between two conflicting sets
of expectations regarding their behavior. As party members, they are exhorted
to follow the official line and disregard their own interests, but relatives
and members of their communities often expect them to use their positions to
their advantage; thus nepotism and localism are, at one level, culturally
sanctioned. Officials must balance these two sets of demands, as moving too far
in one direction can lead to criticism from the other.
The Vietnamese revolution eliminated the extremely inegalitarian forms
of interaction such as kowtowing or hierarchical terms of address that had
existed between commoners and officials. Most Vietnamese address officials with
respectful kinship terms, such as "older brother" ( anh )
or "grandfather" ( ong ), or in rare cases as
"comrade" ( dong chi ). Events in the late 1990s,
notably several uprisings in rural areas in 1997, have demonstrated that the
people's respect for the party and its officials has declined, largely as a
result of the highhandedness and corruption of many officials. However,
significant alternative political movements have not emerged.
Social Problems and Control. Vietnam
has enjoyed a large measure of stability since the late 1970s, but its
government today faces a number of significant social problems. Its greatest
concern has been unrest in rural areas brought on by official malfeasance and
land disputes. The government is also concerned about relations with religious
groups in the south, particularly Catholics, Cao Dai, and Hoa Hao, who have
demonstrated against the government since the 1990s. Another source of concern
is smuggling and the production of counterfeit commodities. Three problems that
have increased dramatically in urban areas during the 1990s have been theft, prostitution,
and drug abuse. Many who engage in the latter two activities are often from the
poorest segments of the population. Official corruption associated with the
drug trade and sex industry are another significant problem.
Vietnam has a legal system supported by a police force, a judicial and
a security system. Yet, many Vietnamese feel that the system does not work,
particularly with regard to its failure either to punish high-ranking offenders
or to prevent the wealthy from bribing their way out of being punished for
illegal activities. The former is often made possible by the extremely low
salaries received by public officials.
People also feel that the state deals more severely with political
dissidents than many civil and criminal offenders. While there is a limited
police and security presence in rural communities, the tightly-packed living
spaces and ubiquitous kinship relations hinder the conduct of many crimes. If
possible, local officials often prefer to settle disputes internally, rather than
involve higher authorities. Public skepticism regarding the police and judicial
system is a source of concern for the government.
Military Activity. The
People's Army of Vietnam has roughly 484,000 active members with three to four
million in the reserves. Over the past decade the military has cut its forces
considerably, though recent estimates are that military expenditures constitute
an amount equivalent to approximately 9 percent of the GDP ($650 million).
Since its withdrawal from Cambodia in 1989, the military has not been engaged
in any large-scale conflicts, but its forces have been involved in numerous
small skirmishes with the Chinese and Cambodians over border disputes.
Social
Welfare and Change Programs
The Vietnamese government has a strong commitment to social welfare and
social change, particularly health improvements, poverty alleviation, and
economic development. It is also concerned with providing assistance to war
invalids and the families of war dead. Numerous offices at all levels of
government are dedicated to these goals, but their efforts are severely
constrained by a lack of funding. As a result, the implementation of many such
policies is carried out with the assistance of international donors and
organizations. Several governments including those of Sweden, Finland, Norway,
and Japan, have provided significant assistance.
Nongovernmental
Organizations and Other Associations
The international nongovernmental organization presence is significant,
ranging from various organizations of the United Nations that conduct a wide
variety of projects across the country, to small groups that work in only one
community. The programs they finance and implement include poverty alleviation,
infectious disease control, contraception, educational assistance, and water
purification, among others.
The development of civil society in Vietnam is still in its nascent
stages, thus there are as of yet few indigenous nongovernmental associations
that play a significant role in social life. Two types that appear to be
gaining importance are patrilineages and religious or ritual organizations,
such as local Buddhist Associations or Spirit Medium Associations. Some
official organizations such as the Communist Party's Elderly Association that
has a presence in villages throughout the country play an important role in
organizing funerals and assisting the elderly.
Gender
Roles and Statuses
Division of Labor by Gender. In
prerevolutionary Vietnam the "public" ( ngoai )
domain was the male domain while the "domestic" ( noi )
domain was for women. This pattern still largely remains with women performing
most of the essential tasks for running the household such as cooking,
cleaning, going to market, and caring for children. Outside the home, women
dominate the business of petty trading which is a common sideline to earn money
in many families. In urban areas women are often secretaries or waitresses,
occupying lower level service positions. In general, men perform the majority
of public activities, particularly business, political office or
administration, and occupations that require extended periods away from home,
such as long-distance truck driving. Men also control the most prestigious
religious roles such as being a Buddhist monk or Catholic priest. While both
men and women engage in all phases of agricultural production, the physically
demanding activities of plowing and raking are mostly performed by men.
The Relative Status of Women and Men. Vietnamese
revolutionary policies endorse the principle of gender equality, but its
realization in social life has been incomplete. Men dominate official
positions, the Communist Party, business, and all other prestigious realms of
social life. Women play a strong role within their families, a point made in
the reference to the wife as the "general of the interior" ( noi
tuong ). The position and status of women has improved significantly
since 1950, but lower literacy rates, less education, and a smaller presence in
public life indicate that their inferior status remains.
Marriage,
Family, and Kinship
Marriage. Marriage
is an expected rite of passage for the attainment of adulthood. Almost all
people marry, usually in their late teens or early twenties. According to
Vietnamese law, arranged marriage and polygamy are illegal. Young people can
court freely, but many women are careful not to court too openly for fear of
developing a negative reputation. Many Vietnamese regard the development of
romantic love as an important component in deciding to marry, but many will also
balance family considerations when making their decision. Vietnamese prefer to
marry someone of equal status, though it is better for the husband to be of
slightly higher status. Such considerations have become more significant in
recent years as wealth differentials have grown. Vietnamese law allows both men
and women to ask for a divorce.
Divorce rates have increased, particularly in urban areas, but many
women are reluctant to divorce because remarriage is difficult for them.
Domestic Unit. The
common pattern for the domestic unit is to have two or three generations living
together in one home. In some urban settings, particularly if the family
resides in government allocated housing, the household might only include two
generations, while some homes in the countryside have up to five generations.
Residence in most homes is organized around the male line. Authority within the
household is exercised by the eldest male, although his wife will often have an
important say in family matters. Sons stay in the parent's home, and after
marriage their brides move in with them. The eldest son will usually remain in
the home, while younger sons might leave to set up their own household a few
years after marriage. Women of all generations tend to such matters as cooking,
cleaning, and caring for children, though these responsibilities tend to fall
on the younger wives.
Inheritance. The
general custom is for the eldest son to inherit the parental home and the
largest portion of the family property, particularly land. Younger sons will
often inherit some land or other items, such as gold. In rare cases daughters
receive small items. Many parents like all of their children to receive
something in order to prevent discord. If a person dies without a
pre-stipulated arrangement, Vietnamese law requires an equal distribution of
property among the next of kin.
Kin Groups. Patrilineages
are the most important kin groups. At birth, children become members of their
father's patrilineage and are forbidden from marrying anyone of that
patrilineage within five degrees of relation. Most rural villages have several
patrilineages whose members live amongst each other.
Patrilineages generally do not exercise a dominant role in social life,
although lineage members often meet to conduct commemorative rites for their
ancestors. Many highland groups have matrilineages and different rules
regarding marriage.
Socialization
Infant Care. Vietnamese
infants are in constant contact with others. People hold children and pass them
around throughout the day. During the night infants sleep with their parents in
the parents' bed. Infant care is largely the responsibility of female family
members. Mothers play the primary role, although in cases when they must be
away, older relatives help care for the children. Older siblings often help out
too. People talk and play with infants, calm them when they cry, and always try
to make them smile and laugh.
Child Rearing and Education. Adults
take a generally indulgent attitude toward children until they reach the age of
five or six. At that point, they become more strict and begin more serious
moral instruction. The general moral message is for children to learn to
"respect order" ( ton ti trat tu ), a reference to
knowing their inferior position in society and showing deference to their
superiors. Parents also emphasize the importance of filial piety and obedience
to the parents. A good child will always know its inferior place and yield to
its seniors. As they get older, the moral socialization of girls is more
intense than that of boys.
Girls are expected to display a number of feminine virtues,
particularly modesty and chastity. Schools continue the instruction of these
moral themes, but given that the majority of Vietnamese do not study beyond primary
school, they are not a significant site for moral socialization.
Higher Education. Higher
education is very prestigious, a tradition that dates back to the competitive
examination system to become an official in the precolonial period. Many
families want their children to attend university, but such an option is beyond
reach for the majority of the population, particularly those in rural or
highland areas.
Etiquette
Polite behavior is highly valued. One of the most important dimensions
of politeness is for the young to show respect to their elders. In everyday
life, younger people show this respect by using hierarchical terms of address
when interacting with their seniors and parents regularly instruct their
children on their proper usage. Younger people should also be the first to
issue the common salutation chao when meeting someone older,
should always invite their seniors to begin eating before they do, ask for
permission to leave the house, announce their arrival when they return, and not
dominate conversations or speak in a confrontational manner with their seniors.
Prerevolutionary practices demanded that juniors bow or kowtow to their
seniors, but the revolution has largely eliminated such practices. Many elders
today feel that the revolution produced a general decline in politeness.
People of the same gender often maintain close proximity in social
contexts. Both males and females will hold hands or sit very close together.
People of different genders, however, especially if they are not married or
related, should not have physical contact. In general woman are expected to
maintain greater decorum than men by avoiding alcohol and tobacco, speaking
quietly, and dressing modestly. In many public spaces, however, people often
avoid standing in queues, resulting in a chaotic environment where people touch
or press up against one another as they go about their business.
Religion
Religious Beliefs. The
Vietnamese government recognizes six official religions: Buddhism, Catholicism,
Protestantism, Islam, and two indigenous religious traditions that emerged
during the colonial period, Cao Dai and Hoa Hao. The Mahayana tradition of
Buddhism is dominant in Vietnam, and over 70 percent of Vietnamese consider
themselves at least nominally Buddhist. The constitution technically allows for
the freedom of religion, but this right is often constrained, particularly with
regard to any religious activities that could become a forum for dissent. All
religious organizations are technically overseen by the Communist Party's
Fatherland Front, but opposition, notably from the Cao Dai, Hoa Hao, and some
Buddhist sects, has been present.
Denominational variations aside, the core of religious practice for
almost all Vietnamese is the worship of spirits. The most important spirits are
the souls of the ancestors. Almost all families have altars in their homes
where they perform rites for family ancestors, especially on the deceased's
death anniversaries and the Lunar New Year. Many Vietnamese also perform or
participate in rites for their village guardian spirits, spirits associated
with specific locations, spirits of deceased heroes, or the Buddha or different
Boddhisatvas, particularly Avalokitesvara. Some Vietnamese believe that spirits
have the ability to bring good fortune and misfortune to human life.
Revolutionaries strenuously objected to such thinking because they felt that it
prevented the Vietnamese from becoming masters of their own destinies. Today,
acceptance of ideas of supernatural causality is more common among women, while
some men, particularly those with party or military backgrounds, reject such
ideas.
Religious Practitioners. Each
of the main religious traditions has its own set of practitioners such as
Christian priests, nuns, and ministers, Buddhist monks and nuns, Islamic
clerics, and Cao Dai and Hao Hao priests. Vietnamese society also features
spirit priests, Taoist masters, spirit mediums, diviners, and astrologers. The
three former specialists have the ability to interact with the spirit world in
order to learn the spirits' desires and persuade or coerce them to behave in
particular manners. They are usually consulted to help the living cure illness
or end a pattern of misfortune. Spirit priests and Taoist masters are usually
men who study religious texts to learn their specialty. Most mediums are women,
many of whom become mediums after a crisis or revelatory experience. Diviners
and astrologers have the ability to predict the future. Diviners make their
predictions through a range of divinatory rites or by reading faces or palms.
Astrologers make their calculations based on the relationship between the date
and time of a person's birth and a wider set of celestial phenomena. Many
people consult one of the latter two specialists when planning a new venture,
such as taking a trip or starting a business.
Rituals and Holy Places. The
most important ritual event in Vietnamese society is the celebration of the
Lunar New Year ( Tet Nguyen Dan ) when families gather to
welcome the coming of the new year and pay their respects to family ancestors.
The first and fifteenth of every month in the twelve month lunar year are also
important occasions for rites to ancestors, spirits, and Buddhist deities.
Other common days for rites are the death anniversaries of family ancestors,
historical figures, or Buddhist deities; the fifteenth of the third lunar month
when family members clean ancestral graves; and the fifteenth of the seventh
lunar month, which is Vietnamese All Soul's Day. Vietnamese conduct rites in a
variety of sacred spaces.
These include family ancestral altars, lineage halls, a variety of
shrines dedicated to spirits, communal houses that hold the altars of village
guardian spirits, temples of Buddhist or other affiliations, Christian
churches, and mosques. The country also has many shrines and temples that hold
annual festivals that pilgrims and interested visitors attend, often from great
distances. Among the more famous are the Perfume Pagoda in the north, the
Catholic shrine at La Vang in the center, and the Cao Dai Temple in the south.
Death and the Afterlife. The
vast majority of Vietnamese hold that a person's soul lives on after death. One
of the most important moral obligations for the living, especially the
deceased's children, is to conduct a proper funeral that will facilitate the
soul's movement from the world of the living to what Vietnamese refer to as
"the other world" ( gioi khac ). This transfer is
vital because a soul that does not move to the other world is condemned to
becoming a malevolent wandering ghost, while the soul that does move can become
a benevolent family ancestor. There is a great deal of variation regarding the
conduct of funeral rites, but they share this common goal.
The other world is regarded as identical to that of the living. To live
happily there, the dead depend on the living to provide them with essential
items. At a minimum this includes food, though some also send money, clothing,
and other items. Family members deliver these items through mortuary rituals, especially
those performed annually on the deceased's death anniversary. All rituals
associated with death have a tremendous moral significance in Vietnamese
society.
Medicine
and Health Care
The Vietnamese, like residents of other poor, tropical countries,
suffer from a wide range of maladies, including parasitic, intestinal,
nutritional, sexually transmitted, and respiratory diseases. In 1999, the
average life expectancy at birth was 65.71 years for men and 70.64 years for
women. The major endemic diseases include malaria, hepatitis A, and hepatitis
B. Other diseases present are HIV-AIDS, syphilis, gonorrhea, measles, typhoid,
dengue fever, Japanese encephalitis, cholera, leprosy, and tuberculosis.
Since the early 1990s, the Vietnamese government, with assistance from
international organizations, has achieved tremendous successes in reducing
malaria fatalities and also in eliminating polio. However, some infectious
diseases have begun reemerging in recent years, particularly tuberculosis, and
the number of HIV-AIDS cases has also grown significantly. Many infectious
diseases are associated with poverty and the poor often suffer the most severe
consequences.
The Vietnamese revolution created improvements in the quality and
availability of health care. The government constructed hospitals in urban
areas and health clinics in rural communities where patients were required to
pay only minimal fees. Many of the larger facilities were constructed with
international assistance. These programs helped reduce infant mortality and the
frequency of many infectious diseases, but many of these advances were unevenly
spread throughout the country as many poor highland areas continued to receive
inadequate care. Budgetary restrictions held back overall health improvements.
Many facilities today do not have adequate resources to function and have begun
charging patients higher fees. Many specialists have also left rural areas for
better opportunities in cities.
These changes have put adequate health care out of reach of many
Vietnamese.
One of the greatest strains on the contemporary medical system is
HIV-AIDS, the first Vietnamese case of which was reported in 1990. Experts
estimate that the disease has affected over 165,000 Vietnamese.
The government has launched effective education and awareness programs
to combat the spread of the disease so Vietnam has not experienced an epidemic
as severe as other Asian countries. The two groups most heavily affected by the
disease have been prostitutes and intravenous drug users. HIV-AIDS is a largely
stigmatized disease due to its association with perceived immoral behavior.
Many sufferers seek to conceal their infection, producing a significant
difference between the 20,000 officially reported cases and the expert
estimates of over 165,000 cases. There are several hospitals devoted to the
care of HIV-AIDS patients, but a lack of adequate funding prevents the majority
of patients from receiving the most advanced and effective treatments.
The treatment of illnesses illustrates the diverse medical systems that
coexist in Vietnam. The most commonly consulted, particularly in urban areas,
is western biomedicine with its reliance on surgery and pharmaceuticals. For
most Vietnamese, biomedicine is the first resort in cases of acute illness or
bacterial or viral infections. With chronic illness, many will first try
biomedical treatments, but if these fail, they will turn to herbal treatments.
Vietnam has two main herbal traditions: Chinese herbal medicine ( thouc
bac or "northern drugs") and Vietnamese herbal medicine
( thuoc nam or "southern drugs"). Both traditions
have substantial similarities, particularly in their theories that illness
results from humoral imbalances in the body, yet the treatments prescribed in
the latter rely more on herbal remedies available in Vietnam. In some cases
people use biomedical and alternative treatments in a complementary manner.
Many Vietnamese comment that herbal medicines are more effective in the long
run because they deal with the true cause of illness whereas biomedicine only
treats the symptoms. Members of different highland communities also employ
biomedical and herbal remedies to treat illness, but the poverty of many
communities makes access to the former difficult.
The Vietnamese have a range of indigenous healers, such as spirit
mediums or other spirit specialists, who are consulted in cases of prolonged
physical or mental illness. These healers believe that disease and misfortune
are caused by spirits or other malevolent entities. The techniques they employ
involve contacting the spirit world, finding and identifying the offending
spirit, and determining what is needed to end the spirit's torments. The
government strongly opposes and criticizes these specialists, but they remain
active throughout the country.
Secular
Celebrations
Vietnam's socialist government has created a range of secular
celebrations to glorify official history and values. Official holidays include:
Labor Day (1 May), National Day (2 September), and Teacher's Day (19 November).
Other important dates are War Invalids' and Martyrs' Day (27 July), and the
anniversaries of the founding of the Communist Party (3 February), Ho Chi
Minh's birth (19 May), and the August Revolution (19 August). Perhaps the most sensitive
official holiday for Vietnam's people is Liberation Day (30 April) that
commemorates the South Vietnamese government's surrender. The government
heavily promotes the significance of these dates, but financial limitations
often make their celebration rather low-key.
The
Arts and Humanities
Support for the Arts. Vietnam's
socialist government places a strong emphasis on the arts, particularly because
it regards them as a prime vehicle for the propagation of socialist values. All
of the main artistic forms such as theater, literature, cinema, and painting
have state-controlled organizations that artists are encouraged if not forced
to join. The government at times severely constrains the direction of artistic
development through censorship, control over printing, and the presence of
party members in artistic organizations. This has not prevented a minor
artistic renaissance, particularly in literature, since the late 1980s. Some
artists find ways to insert critical messages into their work. Many artists
struggle financially because of the recent dramatic reductions in government
subsidies for the arts, the absence of adequate protection for copyrights, and
the fickle tastes of a public that sometimes prefers imported films, music, and
literature. Artists, especially painters, who can produce for expatriates or
the tourist market, have the greatest freedom to pursue their craft.
Literature. Vietnam
has a vibrant literary tradition dating back many centuries. Elite mandarins
and scholars in the premodern period composed sophisticated poetry. Many poems
from earlier eras such as Nguyen Du's The Tale of Kieu or
Nguyen Dinh Chieu Luc Van Tien are regarded as literary
masterpieces.
Along with these traditions, the Vietnamese also maintained a rich oral
legacy of songs, poems, and morality tales people still recite today. Prose
fiction became popular under colonial rule in the first half of the twentieth
century. Writers of this period such as those of the "Self-Reliance
Literature Group" ( Tu Luc Van Doan ) developed the role
of author as social critic. The socialist authorities kept literature under
tight control for several decades to ensure that it was in accord with the
officially prescribed "socialist realist" canon that described the
virtues of the working class and the revolution. Since the late 1980s, Vietnam
has experienced a literary revitalization with the publication of numerous
works that present war, and revolution, and their consequences in a critical
light. The work of several such authors, including Bao Ninh, Duong Thu Huong,
and Nguyen Huy Thiep has attracted an international audience.
Graphic Arts. A
number of indigenous graphic art traditions remain popular. These include
lacquerware, ink block prints, and ceramics, all of which employ distinctive
themes developed by Vietnamese artists.
Historically, specialist families or villages have produced these items
for local sale, though some objects such as ceramics were sold throughout the
country and abroad. Painting has become more popular in urban areas since the
colonial period. All of these forms are displayed in museums and, with the
exception of paintings, are sold in local markets as well as galleries or shops
in major cities.
Performance Arts. The
most popular performance arts in Vietnam have historically been a variety of
musical theater traditions, all of which continue to be performed by
government-organized troupes. The main forms included the courtly tradition of
classical opera ( hat tuong ); reform theater ( hat
cai luong ); an innovative tradition that emerged in the Mekong Delta
in the early twentieth century; and hat cheo, a rural folk
tradition. The former tradition has been in decline for several decades. Reform
theater is popular in the south, and hat cheo in the north. Most performances
take place in theaters usually in urban areas.
Troupes struggle financially and perform less frequently than before
the revolution. The French introduced Western drama to Vietnam, but its
popularity has never matched musical theater. Musical performances, either of
traditional musical forms or contemporary popular music, are also popular.
Radio and television have become a common way to listen to or watch the whole
range of performance arts.
The
State of the Physical and Social Sciences
The Vietnamese government has a strong commitment to the development of
the physical and social sciences. Officially sponsored universities and
research institutes have specialists in most major disciplines such as biology,
chemistry, physics, mathematics, anthropology, sociology, psychology, and
economics. Many specialists have received training abroad, either in the former
Eastern Bloc nations or in advanced capitalist nations. Despite this
commitment, the overall state of the physical and social sciences is poor due
to a lack of funding that hinders the construction of adequate research
facilities such as laboratories or libraries, constrains the training of
adequate numbers of specialists, and keeps scientists' pay extremely low.
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