Abstract: Based on a research overview on marriage topic in recent years and the data from the SIDA/SAREC funded Swedish-Vietnamese project on Rural Families in Transitional Vietnam (RDE05) by the Institute of Sociology in Vietnam and the Linkoping University in Sweden, the paper discusses age patterns of marriage in Cat Thinh commune (Yen Bai province), Phuoc Thanh commune (Tien Giang province) and Phu Da commune (Thua Thien Hue province). The article shows that marriage ages of men and women in the three surveyed areas have recently increased significantly compared to the previous decades. This trend is affected by socio-economic and political changes in the past few decades in Vietnam. Government policy, changes in norms and traditions have contributed to the changes in marriage patterns. The paper predicts that marriage ages may increase in the coming years since a longing for education and for getting new job opportunities outside of the agricultural sector will continue to encourage young people to put off their marriage plans.
Key words: Marriage Patterns; Marriage Age; First Marriage.

Abstract: This paper asks the following question “Why do some children drop out halfway through school while others, with similar backgrounds and conditions, do not?”. A comparative cross-case study based on qualitative data collected from 12 children aged 16-17, their caregivers, friends, teachers and community people in two villages in Vietnam is used to examine the factors influencing children’s different pathways through high school. Using the resilience framework, both the risk and protective factors at the individual, family, friendship, and school levels pertaining to these high school attendees and drop-outs will be explored. The study suggests that the presence of certain protective factors might have helped some children overcome the adversity of their situation and continue high school, while the presence of certain risk factors might have discouraged other children, having contributed to their inability to develop resilience. Differences among gender and ethnic groups will be discussed and implications for parents and educators will also be drawn.
Key words: Children; School Dropout; Resilience; Risk; Protective Factors; Vietnam.

Abstract: The paper analyses the policies specifically instituted in the USA and Vietnam to address domestic violence, namely the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) in the USA and the Domestic Violence Prevention Act (DVPA) in Vietnam. As it finds out, the VAWA focuses more on helping women in their abusive relationship while domestic violence while the DVPA is concerned more about any actions which physically, psychologically and economically harm other members in the family. According to the author, the USA experiences can provide some references for Vietnamese advocates and social workers to find ways of obtaining the most effective interagency cooperation in the context of the Vietnamese sociopolitical structure. He adds it is worth it to learn from VAWA’s negative impacts amid the cooperation and collaboration of the multiple agencies involved with violence against women.
Key words: Domestic Violence against Women; The USA; Vietnam.