Post-nuptial residence patterns of the kinh in the red river delta and different ways to identify them.

Abstract

The paper has offered an overview of different ways that have been used by researchers at home and abroad to identify post- nuptial residence patterns of the Kinh in the Red river delta. Pointing out each way’s strengths and weaknesses, the paper has focused on two studies: one by Charles Hirschman and Vu Manh Loi, another by Daniele Belanger. The two studies are based on a unstasted assumption according to which couples’ post-nuptial residences remain unchanged. However, as a matter of fact, a couple may change its residence over time. This is the main shortcoming of the two studies. The paper has also discussed the empirical operationalization of such theoretical concept as the Confucian family in the study by Hirschman and Vu Manh Loi.