SOCIAL STRATIFICATION RESEARCH IN VIETNAM: CONTRIBUTIONS OF SOUTHERN INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL SCIENCES, 2005-2025

Abstract

Commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Southern Institute of Social Sciences (1975-2025), this article reviews the research conducted by the Institute's scholars on social structure/ social stratification over the past 50 years, with a focus on the last 20 years. The review shows that the Institute is one of the few research institutions in Vietnam to systematically and consistently pursue this topic over the long term, making significant contributions. The Institute has carried out numerous large-scale quantitative surveys that are representative of various sub-regions in Southern Vietnam, and has proposed several new stratification classification frameworks compared to other contemporary classifications. Based on these analytical frameworks, the Institute's researchers have described the quantitative structure of social stratification in the Southern region and identified the interactions of dozens of variables reflecting economic, political, social, and cultural differences across classes and strata. Publications based on this analytical logic provide a broad and diverse picture of the social structure, welfare, and lifestyles of Southern Vietnam's population, making a meaningful contribution to the field of social stratification research in Vietnam.