In the history of family in Vietnam and in the world, in addition to matrilineal families in primitive communism, there have been at least 2 types of family in sequence. They include the patriarchal family characterizing societies of agricultural civilization (pre-industrial society) and the democratic, equal family (industrial society). The contemporary family of Vietnam is regarded as a transition from the model of matrilineal family to the pattern of democratic, equal family. This reflects a change of Vietnamese society - from traditional agricultural civilization to modern industrial civilization.
Research into various types of family has shown that there has been an obvious contradiction between the trend which underestimates the value system of traditional family and the trend which overestimates existing values without having to learn and accept new values brought about by industrial society. This contradiction led to the maintenance of obsolete habits and customs of Vietnam that are inappropriate to the current era (known as ‘cultural tardiness’). The cultural tardiness prevents a society from changing itself and restricts a country’s capacities of cooperation and international integration in many aspects. This book came into existence as a result of a ministry-level research project on ‘The Vietnamese value system of family through the lens of sociology’ (A case of Thai Binh province), led by Associate Professor Le Ngoc Van, undertaken in the period of 2013-2014, under the auspices of Institute for Family and Gender Studies.
The authors took an in-depth research into practical values of Vietnamese family in the current period, which were well written in 6 chapters of the book. Chapter 1: The value system of family - Theory and Methodology; Chapter 2: The Vietnamese value system of family - from its beginning to the period of interaction with Western culture and civilization (1862); Chapter 3: The Vietnamese value system of family - from its interaction with Western culture and civilization (1862) until the period of innovation (1986); Chapter 4: The Vietnamese value system of family in the period of innovation through sociological surveys; Chapter 5: Similarities and differences in choosing values amongst social groups in the period of innovation; Chapter 6: Continuation and variation of values amongst generations within the family of Vietnam in the period of innovation.
Chapter 1 informs theoretical basis and methodology for research into the value system of family; conceptualizing ‘the value system of family’, studying the value system of family from a wide range of views; applying theories to explain the issue of the value system of family (theories on modernisation and post-modernisation, theories on subculture and group culture).
Chapters 2 & 3 explore the Vietnamese value system of Vietnam in the history, from its beginning until the period of innovation (1986). This value system include values in some areas (in relations with natural environment, in relations between human beings, in spiritual life of human beings). The chapters also analyse the operation and variation of the value system of family in the period of interaction with and acculturation of Western civilization (1862-1945), in the period from Vietnam’s independence (1945) to pre-innovation 1986. During the 1945-1985 period, the Vietnamese value system of family worked effectively and went through a progressive and modern development, in terms of its breadth and depth. In these chapters, the authors went to draw important conclusions with regard to enhancement of the Vietnamese national culture in general and of the Vietnamese value system of family in particular.
Chapter 4 gives a detailed account, analysis and assessment of the situation and the trend of change in the Vietnamese value system of family and its characteristics in the period of innovation, based on the findings of sociological survey (the case of Thai Binh province) undertaken by the Institute for Family and Gender Studies in 2013-2014. These characteristics include: (1) The Vietnamese value system of family faced exponential changes with an increase of diversity and abundance in models and patterns; (2) The traditional values have tended to be more respected and selected in comparison with the modern values; (3) The Vietnamese value system of family has had negative and positive impacts on the family and the society of Vietnam; (4) Conflicts, contradictions between the old and the new in the process of interaction and acculturation with other countries in terms of family values, in the context of globalisation and international integration, have emerged.
Chapter 5 has an in-depth analysis of similarities and differences amongst various social groups (such as male-female groups, urban-rural groups, groups with different living standards or with different levels of education ) in choosing family values. Research has shown that there has been a mixture of different values including values regarding agricultural society (social order), values of industrial society (accumulation of personal properties) and values belonging to post-industrial society (quality of life, self-actualization), in order of priority concerning Vietnamese family values in the current period.
Chapter 6 discusses the continuation and variation of values amongst generations within the family of Vietnam (3 generations such as grandparents, parents and children) in the period of innovation. It follows that changes of Vietnamese culture in the history were consistent with changes of values amongst generations within the family of Vietnam. Noteworthy is the appreciation of traditional family values (which bring family members, relatives closer, and connect them with homeland, worship of ancestors, traditional holidays), in combination with intersection and acculturation of new values (such as democracy, equality, individual freedom).
In conclusion, the findings of research survey undertaken in a commune/ward in Thai Binh province suggest further research into the value system of family on a national scale with a view to reaching conclusions and general statements on the working and variation of the Vietnamese value system of family, from its birth to present.
This book is expected to be a useful reference for readers, who are in research into the Vietnamese value system of family and undertake studies of family in the years to come.
