The Institute for Family and Gender Studies and the Institute of Sociology co-organised the workshop in order to open the scientific activity plan which exchange and foster the research collaboration between two institutes in Hai Duong province on 27th February 2015. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Huu Minh, Director of the Institute for Family and Gender Studies and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dang Nguyen Anh, Director of the Institute of Sociology, co-chairman of the workshop, made opening remarks. Some research findings from national and ministerial–level scientific projects were performed in two sessions of the workshop. There were 3 presentations on the findings of 3 ministerial-level scientific research projects of the Institute of Sociology in 2013-2014 in the first session: 1) The suburban adults‘ livelihoods through the case study in 3 communes in Ha Noi presented by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vu Manh Loi; 2) The roles of social work in ensuring social security in Vietnam perfomed by Dr. Bui Thi Thanh Ha; 3) Prostitution: approaches, public oppion and solution orientation given by Prof. Dr. Trinh Duy Luan. In the second session, the Institute for Family and Gender Studies had two presentations resulting from two ministerial–level scientific research projects in 2013-2014: 1) Viewpoints, degree and some impact factors on family (the case study in Quang Ngai province) presented by MA. Nguyen Thi Thanh Tam; 2) Vietnamese family value system in the Reform period performed by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Le Ngoc Van. Dr. Dang Thi Hoa summarised some initial findings of the national-level scientific research project in 2014-2015: Some cross-border marriage issues and the social development in the mountainous provinces of Vietnam in sustainable development. All presentions received a wide range of useful comments, especially, from senior researchers. These were valuable suggestions to revise the final reports and to develop the further research studies next time. To conclude, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dang Nguyen Anh highly evaluated all the presentations as well as the comments. The workshop brought about the opportunity for the researchers of both institutes to share the new research issues and results as well as strengthened the relationship between both institutes. The workshop indicated the positive effectiveness of the scientific research collaboration and became the base to co-organise annual exchange workshops next years.

This paper focuses on occupation status and accommodation conditions of young migrants in the Ho Chi Minh City. As the results shows, overcrowded and very poorly equipped houses are the choice of most migrants. They are on the margin of society as their living conditions are much lower than that of local people. Because of low income they do not think about comfortable lives in the city, so they are happy to have a place to stay after long working hours and some food to eat, regardless of how bad the accommodation is and whether the food is healthy or not. Many of these young migrants cut living costs to save money that can be sent home. Helping family members in rural areas is the obligation of most migrants, especially female migrants.

The paper presents some typical features of the system of Vietnamese family values in history until the exchange and exposure to Western culture and civilization took place. The author categorizes these features into the following groups: values in the relationship between humans and the natural environment, the relationship within humans and the relationship with their inner life. The paper argues that these groups of family values were permanent with little variability. This was because of basic social economic factors such as the nature of the self-sufficient agricultural economy, the village and commune social structure, the influence of Confucian ethics, and the cultural-psychological factor of the love for land ownership of Vietnamese people. According to the author, Vietnamese family values are a very broad field with diverse and rich expressions and require further research.