TTLA: Livelihood transformation in Gia Trung village (Me Linh district, Hanoi city) in the process of industrialization and urbanization

Author name: PHAN THI NGOC

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Dissertation field: Anthropology

Major: Code:62 31 03 02

Name of the postgraduate training unit: University of Social Sciences and Humanities - Vietnam National University, Hanoi.

1. Purpose and research objects of the thesis

Purpose

Study on livelihood changes, specifically livelihood types of people in Gia Trung village whose land was recovered under the impact of industrialization and urbanization.

Research object

This study is set in the context of suburban villages in Hanoi that are changing day by day in both material and lifestyle. Specifically, Gia Trung village (now residential groups 6 and 7, Quang Minh town, Me Linh district, Hanoi city) was chosen as the in-depth research point, because in the past 20 years, there has been a rapid industrialization and urbanization, witnessing the transition from rural to urban society, creating strong changes in a village community that was formerly in the rural agricultural area.

2. Research methods used

Taking the Anthropological research method as the focus, through ethnographic field research (multiple waves) directly experiencing daily life with the research subjects. The process of collecting ethnographic documents at the research site through the main tools:

- Participant observation: Conduct participant observation of the economic life of the research area, to detect and point out outstanding issues regarding changes in the livelihoods of local people.

- In-depth interviews: This is a traditional research method and a strength of Anthropology. By having time to observe and familiarize with the research area before conducting in-depth interviews, this allows to quantify the main issues that are happening in reality in the area. The content of in-depth interviews is designed according to research content groups. Each in-depth interview area is linked in the direction of retrospective interviews and explains the causes of livelihood changes and the process of livelihood adaptation of people from many perspectives, from the people themselves, to management staff and scientists.

- Group discussions by gender and age (each group has from 3 to 7 people). The purpose of the interviews is to gain a deeper understanding of the development and transformation process from the perspective of the community's livelihood, the choices people make at turning points, their views on the livelihood issues they have faced and are facing, and the patterns that govern their behavior.

The name of the correspondent used in the thesis has been changed to ensure privacy.

- Document analysis method:

3. Main results and conclusions

3.1. Main results

Systematic and well-documented analysis and explanation of livelihood changes in a suburban village of Hanoi.

Clarifying the concept of livelihood transformation of farmers whose land has been recovered and turning this concept into a useful tool to identify livelihood types and livelihood characteristics; analyzing the relationship and interaction between livelihood transformation and peri-urban village transformation;

Clarifying the role of some types of livelihood capital. The thesis shows that natural capital (agricultural land, residential land), human capital (skills, professional qualifications, etc.) play an important role in diversifying livelihood strategies for farmers after land acquisition. Here, natural capital and human capital are considered in correlation with physical capital and financial capital because no matter what capital sources farmers use, they only aim to create physical capital (houses, assets, etc.) and financial resources to serve the living needs of individuals and household members in the new social context.

Propose some policy implications to contribute to stabilizing people's lives in terms of livelihood.

3.2. Conclusion

This thesis approaches livelihoods from the perspective of sustainable livelihoods theory and relies on the DFID sustainable livelihood framework to analyze the livelihood changes of Gia Trung farmers under the impact of industrialization and urbanization policies. Livelihood changes include changes in livelihood resources, livelihood strategies and livelihood outcomes. Based on this sustainable livelihood analysis framework, the thesis has analyzed quite fully the factors (policy context) affecting livelihoods, made assessments of the role of livelihood capital for individuals and households and considered whether their livelihood activities are sustainable or not.

The development of industry and urban areas in the suburban areas of Hanoi in general and in Gia Trung village in particular has had many important impacts on the livelihoods, lives and spaces of the village community. When the State reclaimed most of the agricultural land area to serve industrial and urban development, it changed the traditional livelihood capital of farming households, forcing farmers to convert and adapt to new types of livelihoods in a new living environment by participating in many different jobs: industry, service activities while continuing to produce agriculture on a small scale, etc.

Seeing the transformation and adaptation of people's livelihoods is related to policies and development plans from the government, not the self-choice of each individual, household and village community.

SUMMARY OF DOCTORAL THESIS

The author's name: PHAN THI NGOC

Thesis title:The transformation of livelihoods in Gia Trung village (Me Linh district, Hanoi) in the process of industrialization and urbanization

Scientific branch of the thesis: Anthropology

Major: Code:62 31 03 02

The name of postgraduate training institution: University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University

1. Thesis purpose and objectives:

Purpose

The thesis examines the livelihood transformation and adjustment, particularly types of livelihoods of people whose lands are recovered by the State under the influence of industrialization and urbanization process in Gia Trung village. Therefore, villagers in Gia Trung village are the center of exploring and analyzing their changing and reconciling livelihoods.

Objectives

The research context is peri-urban villages of Hanoi day by day transform both material life and lifestyle. Gia Trung village (currently the Six and Seven residential groups, Quang Minh commune, Me Linh district, Hanoi city) is selected as a case study. In this village, the last twenty years have witnessed the astonishing speed of industrialization and urbanization and the transition from the rural society to the urban one. It has been a dramatic change in village community which was a rural and agricultural area in the pass.

2. Research methods

Considering anthropological research methods as the central point, conducting ethnographic fieldwork (in many phases), directly experiencing everyday life with research subjects. The ethnographic data is collected through major research tools, namely:

• Participant observation: The author observed the socio-economic life in Gia Trung village, in order to reveal and point out significant issues about the local people' livelihood transformation.
• In-depth interview: It is the traditional research method and the strength of anthropology. The author observed and got acquainted with Gia Trung village before carrying out in-depth interviews. It allows the author to investigate the main issues which happen in the research area. The content of in-depth interviews is designed based on groups of research content. Applying retrospective interview technique in order to find the cause for transforming livelihoods and the adaptation process of local people from different points of views, namely: local people themselves, administrators and scholars.
• Group interviewing: Focus groups classified into gender, age (each group includes from three to seven people). The goal of group interviews is examining in detail the process of development and change of the community's livelihood, the choices of local people at the turning points, their opinions about livelihood issues with which they are dealing, as well as patterns which influence their behaviors.
• The author changes the name of the informants used in this thesis so that their privacy is guaranteed.
• Research material analysis method: (i) material on research concepts, (ii) material on international researches as well as national researches related to the subject of the thesis, (iii) the local annual socio-economic reports (at different levels: province, city, commune/ward) and socio-economic development policies at both micro and macro level, and (iv) cadaster and monography resources.

3. Major results and conclusions

3.1. The major results

- Based on collected resources, the thesis analyzes and demonstrates scientifically how livelihoods in a Hanoi peri-urban village transform.

- Disclosing the concept of livelihood transformation of the farmer whose lands are recovered, then turning this concept into an effective tool to recognize and categorize different patterns of livelihoods, analyzing the relationship and interaction between the transformation of livelihood change and the transformation of the peri-urban village.

- Clarifying the role of different types of livelihood capital. The thesis shows that natural capital (agricultural land, residential land), human capital (level of professional skills, and so on) play an important role in diversifying the famer's livelihood strategies after their lands are recovered. In this context, natural capital and human capital are considered in relation to financial capital and physical capital. Whatever capital famers use, they only aim at creating physical capital (shelter and buildings, property, etc.) and financial resources to serve the basic need for individuals as well as household in the recent social context.

- Point out some policy implications that contribute to stabilizing local people' life in terms of livelihood.

3.2.Conclusions

- By approaching livelihoods from sustainable livelihoods theory and relying on the DFID's livelihood sustainables framework, the thesis analyzes the transformation of farmers' livelihoods in Gia Trung village under the impact of state policies during the process of industrialization and urbanization. The livelihood transformation includes changes in resources, strategies and outcomes of livelihood. Based on the framework of sustainable livelihoods, the thesis examines in detail factors (in the policy context) that influence on livelihood, evaluates the role of livelihood capital in individuals and households, and considers the sustainability of their living activities

- The development of industry and urban in the peri-urban areas in Hanoi generally and in Gia Trung village has particularly dramatically affected community's livelihood, social life and life space. After the government recovered the large part of the area of ​​cultivated land to develop industry and urban, the traditional livelihood capital of farmer households is influenced. Local people have been forced to convert and adapt themselves to new livelihood strategies. Within the changing context, they work in different areas, such as industry and services while continuously employing in agriculture on small-scale.

- The thesis demonstrates that the livelihood transformation and adaptation of local people is rather related to government policies and development plans than the options for individuals, households and village communities.