Ecological Anthropology in Vietnam: Two Stages, One Journey

Abstract

This paper compares the development of ecological anthropology in Vietnam in two different periods: between the 1960s and 1986, and from 1986-onward. While in the first period, relations between humans and nature used to be mostly approached from a cultural perspective and research areas were mainly rooted in upland regions, the post 1986 period has experienced a much more comprehensive approach that encompasses socio-economic, cultural and political aspects with broader research scopes ranging from local to regional and national scales. Finally, the authors have set out a number of issues for environmental studies related to the research topic, the anthropologists’ status, research methodology, and the dissemination of research results.