TTLA: Current Cultural Changes and Community Cohesion: A Case Study of the Muong Ethnic Group in Hoa Binh Province

INFORMATION ABOUT THE DOCTORAL THESIS

1. Full name of the doctoral candidate:Nguyen Thi Hang    

2. Gender: Female

3. Date of birth: April 8, 1982

4. Place of birth: Hoa Binh

5. Decision No. 1212/QD-SDH dated December 28, 2009, of the Director of Hanoi National University, recognizing the doctoral student.

6. Changes in the training process: None

7. Thesis title:Current cultural changes and community cohesion: a case study of the Muong ethnic group in Hoa Binh province.

8. Major: Sociology Code: 62.31.30.01

10. Scientific supervisor:Prof. Dr. Dang Canh Khanh,Assoc. Prof. Dr. Trinh Van Tung

11. Summary of the new findings of the thesis:

First, nThis thesis views and studies the Muong ethnic culture as a system composed of three types: cultural and artistic culture, cultural and artistic culture, and socio-cultural culture. Previously, socio-cultural culture was often grouped together with cultural and artistic culture; however, the author has boldly separated it into a distinct field, running parallel to cultural and artistic culture and cultural and artistic culture. The basic manifestations of socio-cultural culture investigated, surveyed, and presented in this thesis are the behavioral patterns and social roles expressed in interpersonal relationships, from within the family and clan to village relationships and community organizations of the Muong people in Hoa Binh.

Monday,This study examines Muong culture in transition. Many authors have conducted research on the Muong people and their culture. However, most of these studies have only described established patterns, models, and details of Muong culture, focusing on a static approach by separating and abstracting elements for analysis. Few have delved deeply into the dynamic aspects of Muong culture in its operation and transformation. As the title of this dissertation clearly indicates, this study examines Muong culture in its transformation. Therefore, the author has focused on the operation of Muong culture during the Doi Moi (Renovation) period, encompassing all its different manifestations (such as cultural exchange, contact, and assimilation, as well as its internal contradictions and conflicts during this transformation process). This means the dissertation studies culture in a "dynamic" form, rather than a "static" form like many published works.

Thirdly, the comparative study highlighting the differences between research areas can be considered a compelling argument for the theory of cultural diffusion. In "peripheral" regions, where there is more interaction and contact with external cultures, cultural assimilation is also more intense. Furthermore, the application of an interdisciplinary approach (ethnology, sociology, cultural studies) to highlight the different dimensions of the transition from tradition to modernity is also a novel aspect of this research.

Finally, and most importantly, the thesis examines the reciprocal relationship between surface cultural changes (manifested through material, social, and spiritual culture) and the underlying cultural aspect of community cohesion, an attribute that creates the cultural identity of the Muong people of Hoa Binh during the Doi Moi (Renovation) period. This research into the reciprocal relationship shows that the current cultural development and transformation of the Muong people not only helps them integrate more deeply with other ethnic groups in Vietnam and around the world, but also allows their cultural identity to be increasingly promoted and developed.

12. Practical applications:

The author's research findings have provided several important policy suggestions for preserving and promoting the cultural identity of the Muong ethnic group.

13. Future research directions:

In-depth research into the transformation of each cultural element and the inherent community cohesion within them.

14. Published works related to the dissertation:

- Nguyen Thi Hang (2015), “Spiritual Culture in the Residences of the Muong People in Hoa Binh”,Journal of Educational Theory(227), pp. 75-78.

- Nguyen Thi Hang (2015), “Organization of social life of the Muong people: from tradition to modernity”,Hanoi University of Education Science Journal (5), pp. 122-128.

INFORMATION ON DOCTORAL THESIS

1. Full name: Nguyen Thi Hang 2. Sex: Female

3. Date of birth: 08/04/1982 4. Place of birth: Hoa Binh

5. Admission decision number: 1212/QD-SĐH, dated December 28^th, 2009, issued by Director of Viet Nam National University, Hanoi.

6. Changes in academic process: None

7. Official thesis title: Change on culture and community cohesion nowadays (a case study on Muong Group in Hoa Binh Province).

8. Major: Sociology Code: 62.31.30.01

9. Supervisors: Prof. PhD. Dang Canh Khanh,A.Prof.PhD. Trinh Van Tung

10. Summary of new findings of the thesis:

Firstly, viewing and research on Muong ethnic culture as a system that is constituted from three forms: physical culture, spiritual culture and social culture. In the past, the social culture was merged with spiritual culture, but now the author has strongly split it out into an individual area, existing in parallel with the spiritual and physical cultures. The basic expressions of social culture that are investigated, investigated and presented in this thesis are patterns of behaviour, social roles shown in social relationships among men from families, relatives to social community relations of Muong people in Hoa Binh.

Secondly, Muong culture studies in transformation. Up to now, there have been several authors with research works on Muong group and Muong culture. Neverthless, almost all the works have only stopped at describing the patterns, models and details of Muong culture, which has been shaped up during the history, that means the culture studies were at static state with separating each factor and abstracting these factors for analysis rather than in depth research of Muong culture at vivid forms in its movement and transformation. In this research, as stated clearly in the thesis title, it is to research about Muong culture in the transformation. Therefore, the writer has focused on the movement of the Muong culture in the Reform time with all its different expressions (e,g. cultural exchange, contact and performance as well as cultural intrinsic conflicts in the transformation), that means cultural research in the “animation”, not in the “static” as mentioned in many published works

Thirdly, the comparison to highlight the distinctions among the research locations can be considered as persuasive evidence for the theory of cultural diffusion. In the “periphery” areas, where more exchange and contact with peripheral cultures take places, are the areas where the acculturation takes place more strongly.

Finally, the author has combined the qualitative method and quantitative method in order to measure cultural change and community coherence in the thesis. This can be seen as a creation method that has never appeared in the research studies about Muong group so far. The author at the same time has chosen the interdisciplinary approach: ethnography, sociology and cultural anthropology, thereby to highlight different aspects of the transformation of from tradition to present.

11. Practical applicability, if any:

The research results of the author have made some important suggestions for policy to preserve and promote the cultural identity of the Muong Group.

12. Further research directions, if any:

Comprehensive study on the changes of each cultural component and community cohension which embodied in it.

13. Thesis-related publications:

- Nguyen Thi Hang (2015), “Spritual culture in the residence of the Muong People in Hoa Binh province”, Education – Theory Magazine (227), pp. 75-78.

- Nguyen Thi Hang (2015), “Organizing of Muong People's Society: from tradition to modern”, Science Magazine under Hanoi National University of Education (5), pp.122-128.