Author name: Le Phuong Thao
Thesis title: The role of women in the life of coastal fishing communities in Hau Loc district, Thanh Hoa province
Dissertation field: History
Major: Ethnology Code: 62 22 70 01
Name of the postgraduate training unit: University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi
1. Purpose and research objects of the thesis
Research purpose:
- Research to clarify the role of Vietnamese women in households exploiting, processing, trading and consuming seafood in fishing communities in comparison with the position of Vietnamese women in general.
- Provide documents and scientific explanations to have an overview of the fishing community, some cultural/environmental characteristics, seafood exploitation, processing, consumption and the role of women in the life of the coastal fishing community in Hau Loc district.
- Contribute to the scientific basis for the development and implementation of appropriate policies for the fishing community, especially female workers in coastal fishing areas, in the activities of trading, processing and consuming seafood.
Research object:
The research subjects of the thesis are women in households and establishments exploiting, processing, consuming and trading seafood products in Hau Loc district, Thanh Hoa province; specifically their roles in production activities, in the family and social life of the community in which they live.
In addition, some documents related to state and local policies on fisheries, fishing communities and female workers in this community were also studied and analyzed.
2. Research methods used
Women's participation in community activities in general can be approached from many different angles. This study approaches the issue from the socio-cultural anthropological basis, in which qualitative analysis is particularly emphasized.
- Ethnographic field research method is considered the main research method to collect information and analyze the thesis problem. This method includes basic operations such as collecting textual documents and socio-economic statistics related to the research topic, participant observation, and in-depth interviews with research subjects.
- Expert method: Consult with experts and those with in-depth research experience on this topic in the fisheries profession, especially ethnologists/anthropologists; commune government officials, officials working on culture and fisheries in the district and research communes to obtain assessments of policy-related issues, difficulties and obstacles, and results achieved in support programs for fishermen and their families.
- Narrative research method with stories about the lives of fishermen analyzed to better understand their characteristics and lives. In-depth interview subjects were selected diversely to collect stories about family life, community life, and how they behave with the ecological environment where they live; thereby providing valuable awareness about the contributions of women in fishing families and communities in relation to the socio-economic structure of ethnic groups.
3. Main results and conclusions
3.1.Main results
- Labor and gender roles in fishing communities are very different from the division of labor and gender roles in agriculture. Although the role of gender, especially that of women, in fishing communities is particularly important, the social space they occupy still leaves many gaps for researchers and policy makers. The thesis has approached the issue of gender in coastal fishing communities - a research direction that has received little attention in ethnographic/anthropological studies.
- To ensure sustainable development of the marine economy, Hau Loc district has reorganized seafood exploitation production, restructured occupations suitable to the sea area for reasonable and sustainable exploitation; consolidated solidarity groups for production at sea, supported each other in production, consumption, logistics services and natural disasters...; fishing vessels going to sea must ensure safety equipment for people and vehicles; strictly implement regulations on exploitation and protection of aquatic resources; prohibit exploitation occupations that affect aquatic resources. There are policies to attract businesses to invest in the field of aquatic and seafood processing; implemented a number of policies to encourage and support exploitation, aquaculture and seafood exploitation services in distant sea areas, in order to exploit the potential and advantages of the sea area, contributing to promoting socio-economic development.
Along with economic development, community cultural activities and traditional customs related to the characteristics of each coastal village are still preserved and maintained by Hau Loc fishermen to this day.
- The results of the thesis have provided a vivid picture of the role of women in the coastal fishing community in Hau Loc district, Thanh Hoa province, as a basis for building development policies for women in this community with many characteristics. That is, in sea work, the role of men is as prominent as in family work, their role is just as obscure. Women consider their main role in the family to be housework, to consume products, which means working on shore. In these jobs on shore, the role of men is limited. The clear distinction of the role and participation of women in economic activities as well as in the family here is only relative because economic activities also serve the family. Although to some extent, women's contributions have not been properly recognized and appreciated, for fishing households, their role in seafood processing and trading as well as in the family is essential and irreplaceable.
3.2. Conclusion
- The sea not only provides seafood resources to ensure the lives and livelihoods of fishermen, but also affects and regulates their lives, culture and society. Fishing communities that depend on the sea have their own characteristics due to the nature of their occupation. They have many economic, cultural and social aspects that are different from other communities. Men in the fishing community often go to sea far from their families; women at home have to be more proactive in life and take on more work than women in agriculture. This difference is due to the relationships between the characteristics, nature of the occupation and the marine environment.
- Women participate in the process of processing to consumption of seafood products, financial management. They contribute significantly to the exploitation of seafood carried out by men through processing and distribution activities. For households and fishing communities, their role in processing and trading seafood is essential and irreplaceable. Without them on shore to take care of logistics, men would hardly have the time and health to take long trips to sea. In men's income, there is a contribution of time and effort from women.
- In the fishing community, the division of labor onshore and offshore has had a major impact on the roles of men and women in child care and education. Men in the family are often away from home (at sea), leading to them having to entrust most of the responsibilities and work of the family (onshore) to women. In family life, the status of women is increasingly enhanced, however, the model of role division is still traditional. Women are still the ones who are primarily responsible for housework, raising children, and taking care of the spiritual life of family members. They are also active and proactive in participating in the common religious activities of the community, contributing to building the cultural lifestyle of the coastal village of Hau Loc.
- Due to the characteristics of the working environment, the division of labor by gender in the fishing community is quite clear. Other cultural and social characteristics such as the undeniable contribution of women in fishing activities, the relative separation between the fishing community and the larger society from which these communities are formed are also characteristics that show the interaction between the working environment and the resident community.
- Half of the fishing workers are women, their status and role in the fishing community are determined by many factors. To continue to promote their role in production activities as well as in the family and social community, women need to further improve their professional skills in increasingly specialized and modernized working conditions to maintain their profession and further develop seafood processing and consumption activities in the context of increasing challenges in economic activities, family and social responsibilities. Therefore, the introduction and implementation of policies to support the fishing industry and fishermen, especially female workers, need to be considered and implemented more seriously, synchronously and effectively.
SUMMARY OF DOCTORAL THESIS
The author's name: Le Phuong Thao
Thesis title: The Role of Women in Coastal Fishing Communities in Hau Loc District, Thanh Hoa Province
Scientific branch of the thesis: History
Major: Ethnology Code: 62 22 70 01
The name of postgraduate training institution: University of Social Sciences and Humanity
1.Thesis purpose and objectives
Purposes:
- Clarify the role of Vietnamese women in household that exploit, process, trade and consume seafood in fishing communities in comparison with the Vietnamese women in general
- Provide materials and scientific explanations to have an overview of the fishing community, some cultural/environmental characteristics, fishing, process and consumption, and women's role in coastal fishermen life in Hau Loc District.
- Contribute scientific ideas for making and implementing appropriate policies for fishing communities, especially female workers in coastal fishing areas and in activities of trading, processing and consuming seafood.
Objectives:
- Research object of the thesis is women in household and business that exploit, process, consume, and trade in fishing products of Hau Loc District, Thanh Hoa Province; namely their role in production activities, in their family and the social life of their community.
- In addition, a number of documents related to the state and local policies on fisheries, fishing communities and female workers in this community have been also studied and analyzed.
2.Research methods
Women's participation in community activities is generally approximately from different perspectives. This study approaches the issue from the socio-cultural anthropological view, in which qualitative analysis is particularly emphasized.
- Ethnological fieldwork is considered the main method to collect information and analyze questions of the thesis. This method includes basic operations such as collecting secondary documents and socio-economic statistics related to the research topic, participant observation, and in-depth interviews with research subjects.
- Consult experts who have experienced on this topic in term of fishing, especially ethnologists and anthropologists; communal government officials who are incharged of cultural affairs and services in Hau Loc District and researched communes to get their assessment of policies' difficulties and problems; results obtained in programs to support fishermen and their families.
- Narrative research with stories about the lives of the fishermen were analyzed to better understand the characteristics and their lives. The subjects were selected interviews varied to obtain the stories of family life, community life, how to deal with the ecological environment in which they live; thereby bringing valuable awareness of the contribution of women in the family and fishing communities in relation to the economic structure-ethnic society.
3.Major results and conclusions
3.1.The major results
-Labor and gender roles in fishing communities are different from labor division and gender roles in agriculture. Although the role of gender, especially of women, in fishing communities is important, the social space held by them has been still unknown to researchers and policy makers. The thesis approaches gender issues coastal fishing communities - a research topic that has not been paid much attention in ethnographic/anthropological studies.
- To ensure sustainable marine economic development, Hau Loc District has reorganized fishing production and its structure to accord the seas in order to exploit reasonably and sustainably; consolidate production unions at sea to support each other in production, consumption, logistics and natural disasters... Fishing vessels going offshore to exploit seafood must be equipped with safe equipments; strictly implement regulations on exploitation and protection of aquatic resources; prohibit fishing activities that affect the aquatic resources. There are policies to attract businesses to invest and trade in seafood and seafood processing; implement a number of policies to encourage and support fishing, aquaculture and fishing services in far water area in order to take full advantages of the sea, and contribute to socio-economic development.
Along with the economic development, community's cultural activities and traditional customs related to the characteristics of each coastal village have been still preserved and maintained by Hau Loc fishermen.
- Results of the thesis communities provide a lively picture of the women role in coastal fishing in Hau Loc District, Thanh Hoa Province, and can be referred to as a basis for building developing policies for women in these specific communities. In the work at sea, the role of men is obvious to see, but in their family, their contribution is not clear. Women consider their main role in housework and sea product consumption. During these ashore work, men's role is limited. The distinction of role and participation of women in economic activities as well as in the family has been relative because the economic activity is also served for family. To a certain extent, the contribution of women has not been acknowledged and appreciated; however, for the families of fishermen, their role in processing and trading seafood as well as in their family is essential and irreplaceable.
3.2.Conclusions
- The sea has not only provided seafood to ensure life and livelihood of the fishermen, but also affected and defined their life, culture and society. Fishing live communities on the sea; Therefore, they have their own characteristics defined by their job's characteristics. They have many differences on economic, cultural and social aspects from other communities. Men in the fishing community often go to work far from their home. Their wife at home has to be more active in life and take responsibility on more jobs than women in agriculture communities do. This difference is caused by the relationships between the characteristics, occupational features and marine environment.
- Women are involved in processing and distribution of seafood products and financial management. They contribute significantly to the men's seafood exploitation through processing and distributing activities. For fishing households and communities, their role in processing and trading seafood is essential and irreplaceable. Without their ashore works, it is difficult for men to have time and health to take long trips to the sea. There is a great contribution of time and effort of women in their men's income.
- In fishing communities, the division of labor onshore - at sea has greatly influenced the role of men and women in the field of child care and education. Men in the family are often away from home (at sea), which leads to their entrustment of most responsibilities and duties of the family (on the shore) to their women. In the family, the status of women has been increasingly enhanced. However, the model of role assignment is still traditional. Women are considered to be in charge of housework, parenting, and spiritual care for family members. They are also people who actively participate in the community's common religious activities, contributing to building cultural lifestyle of the coastal village in Hau Loc.
- Due to the characteristics of the communities of the working environment, the gender labor division in fishing is quite clear. Other cultural and social characteristics such as the undeniable contribution of women in fisheries activities, the relative division between fishing communities and their larger societies are also features of the interaction between working environment and the community.
- Half of the workers in fisheries are women; Their position and role in the fishing communities is determined by many factors. In order to keep their role in production activities as well as in their family and social community, the women need to improve their vocational skills in a more increasingly specialized and modernized working conditions. This aims to maintain and develop seafood processing and consumption activities in the increasing in challenges of economic activities, family and social responsibilities. Therefore, the introduction and implementation of policies to support fishermen and fishermen, especially female workers, should be considered and implemented more seriously, synchronously and effectively.
Author:ussh
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