Under the Ministerial-level program “A Comprehensive Study and Assessment of the Family in a Period of Industrialization, Modernization, and International Integration” (or the Family Program), permitted by the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences (the Academy), on March the 16th 2018 at No.27 Tran Xuan Soan, Hai Ba Trung dictrict, Hanoi, the project “Basic Values of Contemporary Family in Vietnam” chaired by Dr. Tran Thi Minh Thi, Director of Institute for Family and Gender Studies (IFGS) held a scientific seminar with the theme “Vietnamese family values in the context of industrialization, modernization, international integration and social development in Vietnam at present and the development trend”. Attending the seminar were leaders of the IFGS (the hosting agency of the project), representatives of the Family Program Steering Board and Chairmen of projects under the program, a lot of managers and scientists from academies, research institutes, universities, domestic and foreign organizations which study and are interested in marriage and family issues. Over the last decades, families in many countries have experienced changes in its size, structure, function, characters. In the process, family values tend to individualize and modernize. In order to explore the Vietnamese family values at present and the changing trends in the coming time, in the two years 2016 and 2017, the Institute for Family and Gender Studies (IFGS) carried out the project “Basic Values of Contemporary Family in Vietnam” under the ministerial-level Family Program. The scientific seminar “Vietnamese family values in the context of industrialization, modernization, international integration and social development in Vietnam at present and the development trend” provided an opportunity to share findings of various research projects about Vietnamese family values, exchange views, discuss and consult with scientists, managers and policy makers to improve analyses and make policy recommendations. In her opening speech at the seminar, Dr. Dang Thi Hoa, Vice Director of the IFGS on behalf of the Institute leaders thanked the participants and said that the seminar aimed at consulting with experts, managers and policy makers from ministries, agencies and sectors on the findings of the research project. Outcomes of the seminar will supplement the findings of the project and suggest policy recommendations to strengthen marital and family relationships in the country’s industrialization, modernization and international integration period. In her introductory report, Dr. Tran Thi Minh Thi pointed out that marriage and families in Vietnam are experiencing major changes from traditional models to include modern features and become more open. The changes in values and standards have been strongly influencing the attitudes and behaviors of each individual in the present society. The co-existence of traditional values at various levels and modern values when the new values haven’t been fully developed and the old ones haven’t fully faded has created a common pattern of many aspects of Vietnamese marriages and families. Applying the theories of modernization and post-modernization, collectivism and individualism in the context of Doi Moi (or Renovation), integration and development, the research helps shed light on fundamental family values and factors influencing Vietnamese fundamental family values at present, point out some changing trends of fundamental family values in the coming time. Main contents of the projects include: i) meaning of marriage and family: traditional and modern; individualisticity and collectivity, gender differentiation (timing, context of finding and understanding life partner, criteria to choose partner, deciding marriage, wedding procedure and ceremony; factors of a strong family bond; order of important things in life and so on; ii) Economic values (bread winners of the family, jobs of the family, perception of women working outside home and doing housework, significance of assets and wealthiness; iii) Children values (the number of children, their sexes, having a son, significance of children, education, raising son and daughter and so on); iv) family happiness values; and v) family relationships values. Dr. Tran Thi Minh Thi hoped that at this seminar, scientists and managers will deliver frank comments and ideas for the project’s chairing board and researchers to improve the research findings. The seminar includes two sessions: Session 1: Some dimensions of emotional values and family affection in Vietnam at present (chaired by Dr. Tran Thi Minh Thi and Dr. Tran Tuyet Anh, Head of Family Department under the Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism). Reports presented during the session focused on analyzing and clarifying some aspects of marriage, family and emotional values, happiness values, the perception of loyalty in marital life, the children values in Vietnamese families at present; influencing factors; traditional and modern dimensions of Vietnamese family values at present; forecasting some stereotyped family values in the coming times; also making some policy recommendations to consolidate good values of Vietnamese families at present. M.A Tran Quy Long, M.A Nguyen Ha Dong and M.A Phan Huyen Dan presented their reports at this session. Session 2: Some dimensions of economic values, inter-generational relationship and community (chaired by Prof. Dr. Nguyen Huu Minh, Program’s Vice Chairman and Dr. Tran Thi Minh Thi). Speakers provided deep insights into family’s economic values; relations between the family and extended family, community and the Nation; the present inter-generational relationships and so on. Presentations at the sessions were delivered by Dr. Tran Thi Hong, Assoc. Prof. Tran Thi An, M.A Trinh Thai Quang and Dr. Tran Thi Minh Thi. During the active discussions, scholars, scientists and managers from departments and institutes of the Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism; Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs, the Allianz Mission in Vietnam, the Center for Gender, Family and Community Development (GFCD), Institute of Sociology, Vietnam Sociological Association and so on highly appreciated seriousness and professionality of the research and exciting initial findings about dimensions of Vietnamese family values. Comments of the participants will be a useful source of references to expand and complete the findings. Concluding the seminar, Dr. Tran Thi Minh Thi once again sincerely thanked the participants and their interesting and useful comments. The seminar has strengthened the coordination between researchers and managers to develop policies and social practices regarding families, gender and children. Outcomes of the seminar helped supplemented the findings of the project, suggested policy recommendations to consolidate Vietnamese family values in the context of industrialization, modernization, international integration and social development these days.

On January 29th 2018, in Hanoi, under the State-level research project on “Basic Issues of Gender Equality in Vietnam’s Ethnic Minority Regions” chaired by Prof. Dr. Nguyen Huu Minh, Institute for Family and Gender Studies (IFGS) held a scientific seminar with the theme “Approach and Method of Researching Gender Equality in Ethnic Minority Regions”. The seminar aimed at providing an opportunity to exchange views and discuss theoretical bases, approaches and methods and issues to be addressed in researching gender equality on Vietnam’s ethnic minority regions in the current situation. Attending the seminar were representatives of state management and research institutes in charge of gender equality and ethnic affairs, for example, the Committee on Ethnic Minority Affairs; Ministry of Labor, War Invalid and Social Affairs; Vietnam Women Union Central Committee; Institute of Anthropology; Institute of Cultural Studies; Vietnam Women’s Academy; Graduate Academy of Social Sciences, some international organizations, such as the World Bank. The seminar is divided into two sessions. The first session discussed the theoretical bases of researching gender equality in ethnic minority regions. Speakers presented theories that can be used in researching gender equality in ethnic minority regions, such as theories of culture, theories of social identity, theories of biological model, and theories of social changes. Approaches mentioned at the seminar include institutional approach, policy approach, cultural approach, development approach and anthropological approach. At the second session, participants discussed method of researching gender equality in ethnic minority regions. Speakers shared their views on issues of concern in researching gender equality in ethnic minority regions and gender equality indicators in the dimensions of labor, employment, political participation, education- training, healthcare, gender equality in families and domestic violence. The participants also discussed and made their contributions to researching gender equality in ethnic minority regions, for example, some suggested paying attention to gender issues in different ethnic groups, different age groups and paying attention to gender equality in culture, sports, security and defense.

Abstract: This report presents the findings from an in-depth analysis of early marriage (marriage before age 18) issue based on data from the Vietnam Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) 2006, 2011 and 2014. Bivariate and multivariate analyses are used. Data show that the prevalence of women who early married has occurred across most socio-demographic groups. However, it was more common among women with lower education, women living in the rural and mountainous areas with limited socio-economic development and ethnic minority women. Early marriage women were more likely to be poorer than those who got married from 18th birthday and after. They had higher lifetime number of births and higher rate of children who born alive, then died than those who got married at 18 and older. Overall, the prevalence of early marriage women has declined over time, but the declining pace is quite slow. While the prevalence of early marriage women from Kinh and Hoa-headed households gradually decreased over time, it increased during the period 2006-2011 and declined during the period 2011-2014 for women in ethnic minority-headed households. Based on analysis results recommendations are suggested to prevent early marriage situation among women and girls in Vietnam.

Abstract: Based on a sample of 402 students, of which 47.3% were male, from 10th to 12th grade of Vinh Bao High School in Hai Phong, the article analyses the school factors that characterize the two groups of happy and unhappy students. The results indicate that school factors including grade, learning pressure, self-worth, peer support, teacher support, gender of teacher, and having a favorite teacher or not, have weak correlations between the two examined student groups (except learning outcome factor). The results suggest that school-based activities should address the specific characteristics of happy and unhappy children in order to create meaningful school life and to let them feel more joyful when they go to school.