TTLA: Sexual discourse in contemporary Vietnamese novels (Through some representative authors and works)

1. Full name of PhD candidate: Vu Thi Huong 2. Gender: Female

3. Date of birth: March 4, 1988 4. Place of birth: Thanh Hoa

5. Decision No. 456/QD-XHNV dated February 16, 2016, of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, recognizing the doctoral student.

6. Changes in the training process: Changes to the thesis topic

Previous title: Discourse in short stories by Vietnamese female writers since the Doi Moi (Renovation) period (Through short stories by Phan Thi Vang Anh, Y Ban, and Nguyen Ngoc Tu)

New topic title: Sexual discourse in contemporary Vietnamese novels (Through some representative authors and works)

Date of change: April 24, 2017

7. Thesis title:Sexual discourse in contemporary Vietnamese novels (Through some representative authors and works)

8. Major:Vietnamese Literature9. Code:62 22 01 21

10. Scientific supervisor:Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thi Bich Thu

11. Summary of the new findings of the thesis:

- The dissertation has summarized the theoretical and practical issues related to conceptual approaches to discourse, research directions on discourse and sexual discourse in culture and literature. In addition, the dissertation has identified the content of several concepts such as discourse, sexuality, sexual discourse, and contemporary Vietnamese novels, serving as a theoretical foundation for the dissertation.

• This dissertation is the first systematic, thorough, and serious study of sexual discourse in contemporary Vietnamese novels through a number of representative authors and works. Based on discourse theory, the dissertation meticulously examines and explains contemporary literary issues from the perspective of factors such as politics, culture, economics, society, and science. This is a field of knowledge that greatly impacts the creative and receptive authority of literary discourse, including discourse on sexuality.
• From establishing the research objectives and tasks to directly surveying the selected works within the research subject and scope, the thesis has identified the factors influencing the formation and operation of sexual discourse, its function and characteristics, as well as the methods of constructing sexual discourse in contemporary Vietnamese novels. With these analyses, the thesis affirms that sexuality is an important means for writers to innovate their thinking about reality, humanity, and the art of the novel.

- This dissertation continues and adds a new perspective and research direction to contemporary Vietnamese literature in general and contemporary Vietnamese novels in particular - the discourse perspective. Studying literature from a discourse theory perspective is crucial in revealing the thoughts and personalities of writers, the genre styles, and the thinking of a literary tradition. In Vietnam, while this perspective has recently received some attention, it remains relatively new, appealing, and offers many promising prospects.

      12.Practical applications:

This dissertation offers an approach to literature from the perspective of discourse, specifically sexual discourse. From an epistemological standpoint, the dissertation will provide a more thorough understanding of the concept of sexuality. With its scientific and practical value, the dissertation contributes to expanding and supplementing materials for teaching, research, and understanding knowledge in specific areas such as: Vietnamese novels during the đổi mới (renovation) period, discourse, novel discourse, sexual discourse, and sexual culture…

13. Further research directions (if any):Contemporary Vietnamese novels from the perspective of sexual aesthetics.

14. Published works related to the dissertation:

- Vu Thi Huong (3/2017), “Y Ban's short stories from the perspective of sexual discourse”,Journal of Education and Society(3), pp. 37–41.

ButVu Thi Huong (April 2018), "Sexual discourse in Nguyen Xuan Khanh's novels",Journal of Literary Studies(4), pp. 65 - 75.

ButVu Thi Huong (April 2018), "Sexual Language in Contemporary Vietnamese Novels",Language and Life Magazine(4), pp.104 – 108.

- Vu Thi Huong (May 2018), "Sexual characters in contemporary Vietnamese novels",Journal of Lexicography & Encyclopedia(3), pp.94 – 99.

INFORMATION ON DOCTORAL THESIS

1. Full name: Vu Thi Huong 2. Gender: Female

3. Date of birth: March 4, 1988 4. Place of birth: Thanh Hoa

5. Admission decision number: 456 / QD-XHNV. Date: February 16, 2016 of University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi.

6. Changes in academic process: Study thesis title

- Former title: Speeches in short stories by Vietnamese women writers since Doi Moi (Through short stories by Phan Thi Vang Anh, Y Ban and Nguyen Ngoc Tu)

- New topic: Sexual discourse in contemporary Vietnamese novels (Through some typical authors and works)

- Time of change: 24/4/2017

7. Official thesis title: Sexual discourse in contemporary Vietnamese novels (Through some typical authors and works)

8. Major: Literature of Vietnam 9. Code: 62 22 01 21

10. Supervisors: Assoc. Dr. Nguyen Thi Bich Thu

11. Summary of the new findings of the thesis:

- The thesis summarizes theoretical and practical issues related to discourse approaches, discourse and sexual discourses in culture and literature. Besides, the thesis has identified some concepts such as discourse, sexuality, sexual discourse, contemporary Vietnamese novel as the premise for the thesis.

- The thesis is the first systematic, elaborate and serious study of sexual discourse in contemporary Vietnamese novels by several authors and typical works. Based on the theory of discourse, the thesis thoroughly reflexes, explains contemporary literary issues from such dominant factors as politics, culture, economics, society, science ... This field of knowledge has a great impact on the creative authority and authority to receive literary discourse including sexual discourse.

- From the establishment of research purposes and tasks and the direct examination of selected works in the subject and scope of the research, the thesis has pointed out the factors that govern the formation and operation. Sexual discourse, function and characteristics as well as the method of constructing sexual discourse in contemporary Vietnamese novels. With these analyses, the thesis asserts that sexuality is an important means for writers to innovate thoughts about human reality and novel art, as well.

- The thesis continues and adds up a new perspective, a new research direction of contemporary Vietnamese literature and contemporary Vietnamese novels in particular – in the view of discourse. The study of literature from discourse theory is important in pointing out the thought and personality of writers, the style of genre and the thinking of a literary world. In Vietnam, recent literature studies from this corner have been paid a certain attention but remains new, attractive and open to many prospects.

12. Practical applicability:

The thesis provides an approach to literature from formality, sexual discourse. In the epistemology: The thesis brings about a better understanding of the concept of sexuality. With the scientific and practical value, it has contributed to the extension and supplementation of materials for teaching, research and knowledge in specific contents such as Vietnamese novels in the renovation period, discourse, discourse fiction, sexual discourse, sexual culture ...

13. Further research directions, if any: Contemporary Vietnamese novels from the perspective of sexual aesthetics.

14. Thesis – related publications:

- Vu Thi Huong (March 2017), “Short Stories by Y Ban from the aspect of Sexual Discourse”Journal of Education and Society, (3), pp. 37-41.

- Vu Thi Huong (April 2018), “Sexual discourse in the novel of Nguyen Xuan Khanh”,Journal of Literary Studies(4), pp. 65 - 75.

- Vu Thi Huong (April 2018), "Sexual language in contemporary Vietnamese novels",Journal of Language and Life(4), pp. 104 - 108.

- Vu Thi Huong (May 2018), “Sexual characters in contemporary Vietnamese novels”,Journal of Lexicography & Encyclopedia(3), pp. 94-99.