Postwar Vietnam: Dynamics of a Transforming Society

(Paperback)

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Richly informed by in-depth field and archival research, this book offers a synthetic and accessible analysis of contemporary Vietnam. After decades of war and a socialist transformation, the country has moved toward a market economy. Echoing that shift, Vietnamese society has undergone significant changes, with increasing socioeconomic disparities among regions and within localities, greater unrest both in urban and rural areas, and a revitalization of religious and folk rituals. Moving beyond the standard emphasis on the Vietnam War and Vietnamese politics and economy, this volume provides a historically grounded examination of the dynamics of contemporary society and state-society relations that will be valuable for scholars and students alike. Visit our website for sample chapters!

Reviews

An effective overview. . . . A worthwhile resource for specialists of postsocialist transition in other cultural regions. * Choice Reviews *
Very useful set of studies that emphasize, as the book's subtitle suggests, the dynamics of a society that is being transformed in virtually every way. * Asian Journal of Social Science *
Anthologies commonly contain a collection of conference papers of inconsistent quality and without a coherent theme or analytical focus. Hy V. Luong has edited a volume that avoids this unfortunate pattern. Nine excellent essays describe different examples of the social transformation underway in postwar Vietnam, and each demonstrates how the dynamic relationship between state and society governs this process. . . .Scholars conducting research on postwar Vietnam from a variety of different disciplinary perspectives, including history, anthropology, sociology, economics, and political science, will find this work to be of considerable value. Consistently well written, all the essays represent detailed information and thoughtful analysis. In addition, there are twenty-six tables and four figures scattered in the text, which provide useful economic and demographic statistics, as well as a good provincial map of Vietnam. . . .There is a comprehensive bibliography that lists both primary and secondary sources in English and Vietnamese, as well as a superb index. Instructors of graduate or advanced undergraduate courses on postwar Vietnam should consider assigning this anthology as required reading. -- James I. Matray * Journal of Asian Studies *
This volume has the societal consequences of Vietnam's transformation as its focus. In a stringent outline, state-society relations, regional and local inequalities, migration, the situation of ethnic minorities, environmental consequences, gender relations, religious practices and the role of intellectuals are analyzed. It is difficult to do any better. . . .Tells a fascinating tale. . .and is well researched. -- Albrecht Rothacher * Asia Europe Journal *
These ten chapters, written by a select group of seasoned and well-informed specialists, provide an insightful analysis of Vietnam's complex and rapidly evolving political, economic, social and cultural change. -- Geoffrey B. Hansworth * Pacific Affairs *

Author Bio

Hy V. Luong is professor of anthropology and chair of the Department of Anthropology, the University of Toronto.