TTLA: Factors influencing social trust among Vietnamese people

INFORMATION ABOUT THE DOCTORAL THESIS

1. Full name of the doctoral candidate:Nguyen Thi Khanh Hoa            

2. Gender: Female

3. Date of birth: August 15, 1983

4. Place of birth: Thai Nguyen

5. Decision No. 2213/2011/QD-XHNV-SDH dated November 21, 2011, of the Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, recognizing the doctoral student.

6. Changes in the training process: None

7. Thesis title:Factors influencing social trust among Vietnamese people.

8. Major: Sociology Code: 62.31.03.01

9. Scientific supervisor:Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Quy Thanh

10. Summary of the new findings of the thesis

The thesis has shown that the current level of social trust among Vietnamese people is at a low to average level. Basic trust indicators and social trust largely differ between rural and urban areas, but there are not many differences between men and women.

The thesis has shown that the structure of the object of trust includes trust in specific individuals and trust in generalized individuals. Trust in specific individuals includes trust in direct family members and trust in individuals outside the direct family, based on the roles and relationships between individuals and families according to Eastern cultural traditions. Trust in generalized individuals is divided into trust in groups of civil servants and trust in social groups/classes, based on the subject's expectations and hopes for social individuals. Through this, the thesis examines the role of different social groups in building social trust.

This thesis has identified the relationship between the components in the objective structure of social trust through reliable quantitative analyses. These components are relatively closely related but play different roles in building overall trust. This result is also verified by quantitative data using exploratory factor analysis and correlation analysis in statistics.

Through quantitative analysis, the thesis has shown the close relationship between social trust and factors such as social distance and community cohesion. In addition, trust is also influenced by the functioning of healthcare, education, and media institutions, as well as the public service practices of civil servants and officials.

The thesis also highlights the significance of the relationship between mass media and social trust. Mass media is the context in which social trust is placed; it influences social trust, but an increase or decrease in social trust also affects trust in mass media. This is particularly important in the current context of globalization, where individuals cannot verify all information and events in life, and most information is provided by mass media.

The thesis also presents ideas on building and strengthening social trust in practice through enhancing community solidarity, encouraging in-depth social participation, and operating social institutions effectively, etc. These ideas contribute to the formulation of policies appropriate to the social context to build social trust among Vietnamese people.

11. Practical applications:

Contributing to advising on policies for building social trust in Vietnam.

12. Future research directions:

The relationship between social trust, social participation, and social capital among Vietnamese people.

13. Published works related to the dissertation:

Nguyen Quy Thanh, Nguyen Thi Khanh Hoa (2013), “Factors affecting trust in immediate family members”,Hanoi National University Science JournalButJournal of Social Sciences and HumanitiesT.29 (2), pp. 19-33.

Nguyen Quy Thanh, Nguyen Thi Khanh Hoa (2013), “Components and relationships between them in the structure of social trust of Vietnamese people”,Social Journalc (4), pp. 89-102.

Nguyen Quy Thanh, Nguyen Thi Khanh Hoa (2013), “Factors affecting the social trust of Vietnamese people”,Journal of Human Studies(3), pp.10-26.

Nguyen Quy Thanh, Nguyen Thi Khanh Hoa (2014), “Components and correlations in the social trust: the evidence in Vietnam”,Bangkok International Conference on Social Sciences (BISSS 2014) Proceedings, pp. 189–200.

Nguyen Quy Thanh, Nguyen Thi Khanh Hoa (2014), “Exploring social trust of Vietnamese people: the evidence from empirical study”,Vietnam Journal of Family and Gender StudiesT.9 (2), pp.35-52.

INFORMATION ON DOCTORAL THESIS

1. Full name: Nguyen Thi Khanh Hoa 2. Sex: Female

3. Date of birth: August 15, 1983 4. Place of birth: Thai Nguyen

5. Admission decision number: 2213/2011/QD-XHNV-SDH dated on November 21, 2011 of the Rector of Social Sciences and Humanities University, Vietnam National University, Hanoi.

6. Changes in academic process: No

7. Official thesis title: The Factors Impact on Social Trust of the Vietnamese

8. Major: Sociology 9. Code: 62.31.03.01

10. Supervisors: Assoc. Professor, Doctor Nguyen Quy Thanh

11. Summary of the new findings of the thesis:

The thesis shows that the social trust of Vietnamese is fair. Most of the basic trusts and social trust have significant differences between the rural and urban area, but only some have significant differences between the male and female.

The thesis shows that the structure of social trust includes trust in particularized people and generalized people. Premised upon the Eastern cultural tradition, the trust in particularized people is divided into trust in members in immediate family and trust in the individuals or non-members of immediate family. While based on the expectations of the social people, the trust in people generalized includes trust in the public servants/officers and trust in social groups/classes.

Based on the reliable quantitative analysis, the thesis identifies the relation among the components of social trust. These components have relatively tight relations with each other but play different roles in developing the social trust. This result is based on using exploration factor correlation analysis and analysis in the statistical analysis.

Based on the quantitative evidence, the thesis shows the tight relationship between social trust and others such as social distance, the community cohesion. Moreover, the social trust is informed by the operation of social institutions such as health, education, communication and the public practices of the public servants/officers,…

The thesis shows the meanings of the relation between the mass communication institution and social trust as well. The social trust is put in the communication background, and communication affects social trust, but social trust also influences trust in the mass communication. This is meaningful in the globalization, when each individual cannot verify all information in life, while most of information is supplied by the mass communication.

The thesis also gives some ideas relating to developing and strengthening the social trust through the solidarity in community, encouragement to in-depth social participation, effective operation of social institutions…This may contribute to developing the suitable policies in building the social trust of the Vietnamese in the current society.

12. Practical applicability:

To contribute to give the recommendations for the policies aiming to build the social trust in Vietnam.

13. Further research directions:

The relationships between social trust and civic participation, social trust and social capital in Vietnam.

14. Thesis-related publications:

Nguyen Quy Thanh, Nguyen Thi Khanh Hoa (2013), “The factors affecting the trust in the members of immediate family”, The Sciences Magazine – Vietnam National University, Hanoi – Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities Vol.29(2), pp. 19-33.

Nguyen Quy Thanh, Nguyen Thi Khanh Hoa (2013), “The components of the social trust and their correlation among them in the social trust of Vietnamese”, Sociological Magazine (4), pp. 89-102.

Nguyen Quy Thanh, Nguyen Thi Khanh Hoa (2013), “The factors impact on social trust of Vietnamese”, Magazine of the Human Studies (3), pp. 10-26.

Nguyen Quy Thanh, Nguyen Thi Khanh Hoa (2014), The oral presentation “Components and correlations in the social trust: the evidence in Vietnam” in proceedings of “International Conference on Social Sciences (BISS 2014)” in Bangkok, Thailand, January 18-20 2014.

Nguyen Quy Thanh, Nguyen Thi Khanh Hoa (2014), “Exploring social trust of Vietnamese people: the evidence from empirical study”,Vietnam Journal of Family and Gender StudiesVol.9(2), pp.35-52.