Ethnic Issue and Anthropological Studies in Southeast Asian Countries

Abstract

Anthropology of the Southeast Asian countries like Vietnam comes from and is under the profound influence of colonialist anthropology. The colonialist anthropology itself created a trail in anthropology studying the ethnicities in Southeast Asia in which it concentrated on the discovery of the traditional customs and habits and living styles of the groups of indigenous inhabitants. Yet, from the foundation of that heritage, anthropology of the Southeast Asian countries gradually has established its specific traditions in each country in which there is an emphasis on the important role of anthropological studies of the ethnic peoples for the process of construction of nation-state in each country.