Readings: Jamieson, "The Traditional Family in Vietnam" in The Vietnam Forum 8 (1986), 91-150
Tai, "How to Speak Like a Vietnamese"
**Pham Van Bich, The Vietnamese Family in Change, 1-43

 

1. How do communalism and hierarchy co-exist in the Vietnamese family? (Think in terms of age, gender, blood relationship.)

2. The theme of inside versus outside is a prevalent one when talking about the Vietnamese family. As described by Tai, Jamieson, and Pham Van Bich, how does this theme shape the roles of women and men within the family? Thinking about the folktales in the Jamieson article, in what ways does the division of inside from outside create tensions within the family?

3. Jamieson uses folktales quite liberally in his article. What kinds of issues do you think anthropologists should keep in mind as they interpret such stories?

4. In what ways can filial piety work to promote the interests of the larger community and nation, and when can it do the opposite? Which tendencies are, in your opinion, stronger, and why?

5. What, according to Pham Van Bich, was the impact of French colonialism on the traditional family? How does Pham Van Bich's account differ from Jamieson's in terms of argument, evidence used, and conclusions?

 

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