Gendering poverty in Vietnam from interstitial perspective

Abstract

This article does not present anthropological narratives that reflect the views of the ethnic minorities on development; instead, it raises the issue from the perspective of researchers who are in charge of "speaking the truth to power” and “speaking the truth to the people” (Collins, 2012). I use the concept of 'interstitial' to explore the grey spaces between the boundaries of social science disciplines. Within the scope of this paper, the 'interstitial' perspective is presented in two facets, including the role of the author as both an academic researcher and a consultant of development studies with expertise in anthropology and gender studies. The analysis revolves around the gender story in current state-sponsored programs for sustainable poverty reduction in Vietnam, focusing on two aspects: the principle of giving priority to women, and vulnerable groups as beneficiaries. The research results show that the one-dimensional, top-down approach or narrow disciplinary approach which demarcates the boundaries between sciences hardly provide a thorough understanding of the actual state of the socio-economic development in rural, upland and ethnic minority areas. Therefore, it is necessary to promote exchange and cooperation among scientists from different fields who share common interests on sustainable poverty reduction; as well as foster inter-sectional analysis in development studies, or in other words, an interdisciplinary approach to gender studies in Vietnam.