Gender Integration after 30 Years of Doi Moi: Literature Review for Research and Training in the Anthropology of Gender in Vietnam

Abstract

This article reviews and puts into perspective the various theoretical approaches that have been used in recent anthropological studies of gender in Vietnam. From this, the author offers some suggestions regarding new directions for future research and training in gender studies and particularly in the sub-discipline of anthropology of gender in the country. The results of anthropological studies of gender in Vietnam, contributed by both international and local scholars, do not simply present a bleak picture of a Third World society where women are characterized as being subjected to continuous domination and submission. They also show bright spots as seen in various practices and acts of resistance against the effects of global restructuring on women’s lives. These contributions are instrumental in facilitating the construction of a new feminist solidarity transcending the boundaries of nation, class, race, ethnicity, religion, and sexual orientations.