TTLV: The Status of Vietnamese Women Through the Belief in Ancestor Worship in the Red River Delta

INFORMATION ABOUT THE MASTER'S THESIS

1. Student's full name: Le Thi Hong Nhung 2. Gender: Female

3. Date of birth: September 19, 2001

4. Place of birth: Thanh Hoa

5. Decision to recognize student number: 5626 Decision No. /QD-XHNV dated December 29, 2023, of the Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi

6. Changes in the training process: Extension of study time according to Decision No. 9028/QD-XHNV, extension period from December 30, 2025 to June 29, 2026; Extension of study time according to Decision No. 3371/QD-XHNV, extension period from June 30, 2026 to December 29, 2026

7. Thesis title: The Status of Vietnamese Women through the Belief in Ancestor Worship in the Red River Delta

8. Major: VietnameseAndrologyCode: 8310630

9. Scientific supervisors: Dr. Mai Minh Tan, Dr.Nguyen Thi Thu Trang

10. Summary of the thesis results:

This thesis studies the belief in worshipping female ancestors in Vietnamese families in the Red River Delta from a cultural perspective, thereby clarifying the relationship between folk beliefs and the status of women in Vietnamese feudal society. Based on a combination of documentary research, field surveys, and in-depth interviews in localities within the Red River Delta, the thesis has achieved the following main results:

The firstThis thesis has systematized the theoretical and practical basis of ancestor worship, female ancestor worship, the status of women in feudal society, and related research theories, thereby building an analytical framework to serve the study of female ancestor worship from a cultural studies perspective.

MondayThis thesis clarifies the natural, historical, economic, and cultural foundations that contribute to the formation of the status of Vietnamese women; it also points out that alongside the legitimate power of men in the patriarchal structure, there exists a symbolic and spiritual form of power held by women through maintaining worship spaces, performing rituals, and preserving family traditions. This parallel existence of nominal power and spiritual power has created an important cultural premise for the formation and development of the ancestral worship belief in Vietnamese family life.

TuesdayThrough practical surveys, this thesis systematically analyzes the objects of worship, worship spaces, worship times, worship items, rituals, meaning, and value of the Ancestor Worship belief in Vietnamese families in the Red River Delta region. It also points out the changes and shortcomings currently facing practice, such as the erosion of folk knowledge, the trend towards simplifying rituals, the commercialization of the belief, and the disruption of transmission between generations. Based on this, the thesis proposes a system of solutions to preserve and promote the value of the Ancestor Worship belief in contemporary society.

The novel outcome of this thesis is the proposal of an interdisciplinary approach to the worship of Ancestral Spirits from a cultural studies perspective, combining gender studies, symbolic anthropology, and structuralism. Based on this, the thesis affirms that the worship of Ancestral Spirits is not merely a form of commemorative worship for the deceased, but also a cultural symbol reflecting how Vietnamese people establish status for those who have not completed their social life cycle. Through the practice of worship, Ancestral Spirits are given a legitimate position within the spiritual structure of the family, demonstrating the humanistic spirit and tolerance of Vietnamese culture. Furthermore, this belief is a cultural mechanism through which the limited social power of women in a patriarchal society is transformed into spiritual power recognized by the family and community.

11. Practical applications:

The research findings of this thesis can be used as a reference in research, teaching, and learning in the fields of cultural studies, Vietnamese studies, cultural anthropology, gender studies, and folk beliefs, especially for studies on ancestor worship and the role of women in traditional Vietnamese culture.

Furthermore, this thesis provides a scientific basis for identifying, preserving, and promoting the values ​​of the Ancestor Worshiping belief in the current context; it also supports the dissemination of information and contributes to raising community awareness about the role of women in Vietnamese cultural life.

In addition, the research findings can be used as a reference source for further studies on folk beliefs, family culture, andin the process of developing communication programs, exhibitions, digitizing documents, and developing cultural products associated with the intangible cultural heritage of the Red River Delta region.

12. Future research directions:

Based on the research findings of this thesis, several further research directions can be pursued:

• Expand the scope of the survey on the worship of Ancestral Goddesses to other cultural regions such as North Central, South Central, and Southern Vietnam in order to compare the similarities and differences in religious practices between these regions.

• This study examines the relationship between the worship of Ancestral Spirits (Tổ Cô) and the worship of Mother Goddesses (Mẫu), the worship of Female and Male Spirits (Bà Cô - Ông Mãnh), the worship of female deities, and the ancestor worship system in Vietnam, aiming to better identify the position of Ancestral Spirits within the Vietnamese folk belief system.

• Further research into the worship of Ancestral Goddesses should be conducted from an interdisciplinary perspective, encompassing anthropology, sociology, gender studies, cultural memory, and intangible cultural heritage, to clarify the role of this belief in shaping family and community identity.

• Promoting the collection, digitization, and database development of the Ancestor Worshiping belief system aims to serve research and knowledge dissemination about this type of belief system in the context of digital transformation and international integration.

13. Published works related to the thesis: None

INFORMATION ON MASTER'S THESIS

1. Full name: Le Thi Hong Nhung 2. Sex: Female

3. Date of birth: 19 September 2001 4. Place of birth: Thanh Hoa, Vietnam

5. Admission decision number: 5626/QD-XHNV; Dated: December 29, 2023, issued by the Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi.

6. Changes in academic process: Extension of the study period concerning to Decision No. 9028/QD-XHNV, with extension granted from December 30, 2025 to June 29, 2026; and further extension of the study period involving Decision No. 3371/QD-XHNV, with extension granted from June 30, 2026 to December 29, 2026.

7. Official thesis title: The Status of Vietnamese Women through the Worship of To Co in the Red River Delta.

8. Major: Vietnamese Studies 9. Code: 8310630

10. Supervisors:Dr. Mai Minh Tan, Dr. Nguyen Thi Thu Trang

11. Summary of the findings of the thesis:

This thesis examines To Co worship in Vietnamese families in the Red River Delta from the perspective of cultural studies, with the aim of clarifying the relationship between folk belief and the social status of women in traditional Vietnamese society. Drawing upon documentary analysis, fieldwork, and in-depth interviews conducted in several localities across the Red River Delta, the study has achieved the following principal findings.

First, the thesis establishes a theoretical anthropology and analytical framework for the study of To Co worship by systematizing previous scholarship on ancestor worship, To Co worship, women's social status in pre-modern Vietnam, and relevant theoretical approaches, including structuralism, cultural, symbolic anthropology, and gender studies. This framework provides a coherent basis for interpreting To Co worship from a cultural perspective.

Second, the study demonstrates that the social status of Vietnamese women has been shaped by the interaction of natural, historical, economic, and cultural factors. The findings further indicate that, alongside the formal authority traditionally exercised by men within the patriarchal family, there exists a complementary form of spiritual authority maintained by women through the management of ritual space, the performance of ritual practices, and the preservation of family traditions. The coexistence of these two forms of authority constitutes an important cultural foundation for the emergence and continuity of To Co worship in Vietnamese family life.

Third, based on empirical investigation, the thesis provides a systematic analysis of the principal components of To Co worship, including the object of worship, ritual space, ritual timing, ritual objects, ritual practices, as well as its meanings and cultural values ​​in Vietnamese families of the Red River Delta. The analysis also identifies several contemporary challenges affecting the practice of this folk belief, including the gradual loss of traditional knowledge, the simplification of ritual practices, the commercialization of religious activities, and the weakening of intergenerational cultural transmission. In response to these issues, the thesis proposes a set of recommendations aimed at preserving and promoting the cultural values ​​of To Co worship within the context of contemporary Vietnamese society.

The principal contribution of this thesis lies in its interdisciplinary interpretation of To Co worship through the integration of cultural studies, gender studies, symbolic anthropology, and structuralism. The findings demonstrate that To Co worship should not be understood merely as a form of ancestor worship commemorating the deceased. Rather, it functions as a distinctive cultural symbol through which Vietnamese society reconstructs the social position of women whose life course did not conform to conventional expectations. Through ritual practice, To Co is granted a legitimate place within the family's sacred structure, reflecting the humanistic values ​​and cultural inclusiveness characteristic of Vietnamese tradition.

More importantly, the thesis argues that To Co worship operates as a cultural mechanism through which the social authority historically constrained by the patriarchal system is transformed into a form of spiritual authority recognized by both the family and the wider community. This perspective offers a new interpretation of the relationship between gender, belief, and symbolic power in traditional Vietnamese culture, while contributing to wider discussions on ancestor worship, women's studies, and Vietnamese folk belief from an interdisciplinary perspective.

12. Practical applicability:

The findings of this thesis may serve as a valuable reference for research, teaching, and learning in the fields of cultural studies, Vietnamese studies, cultural anthropology, gender studies, and folk belief, particularly in relation to ancestor worship and the role of women in traditional Vietnamese culture. The study also provides a scholarly basis for identifying, preserving, and promoting the important cultural values ​​of To Co worship in contemporary society. In addition, its findings may support public education and awareness-raising initiatives aimed at enhancing understanding of the cultural significance of women within Vietnamese family and community life. Furthermore, the thesis offers a useful source of reference for future research on Vietnamese folk belief and family culture. Its findings may also contribute to the development of cultural communication programs, exhibitions, digital heritage archives, and other initiatives designed to preserve and promote the intangible cultural heritage of the Red River Delta.

13. Further research directions:

Building upon the findings of this thesis, several avenues for future research may be pursued.

First, further comparative studies could extend the investigation of To Co worship to other cultural regions of Vietnam, including the North Central Coast, the South Central Coast, and Southern Vietnam, in order to identify regional similarities and differences in ritual practices and cultural interpretations.

Second, future research may examine the relationship between To Co worship and other Vietnamese folk beliefs, such as Mother Goddess worship, the worship of Ba Co - Ong Manh, female deity worship, and broader traditions of ancestor worship. Such studies would contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the position and significance of To Co within the Vietnamese folk belief system.

Third, an interdisciplinary approach integrating cultural anthropology, sociology, gender studies, cultural memory studies, and intangible cultural heritage studies could further explore the role of To Co worship in shaping family identity, community cohesion, and the cultural construction of gender in Vietnamese society.

Finally, future efforts should promote the systematic documentation, digitization, and development of a comprehensive database on To Co worship. Such initiatives would facilitate academic research, improve public access to knowledge, and support the preservation and dissemination of this form of intangible cultural heritage in the context of digital transformation and international integration.

14. Thesis-related publications: No