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INFORMATION ABOUT THE MASTER'S THESIS
1. Student's full nameNGUYEN THI DAO2. Gender: Female
3. Date of birth: 10/09/1992 4. Place of birthHanoi
5. Decision to recognize student numberDecision No. 5626/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:Do not have
7. Title of the topic:Vietnamese folk beliefs and attitudes towards forest ecosystems: The case of the Central Highlands (1975-2014)
8. Major:History of Vietnam (research orientation); Code: 8229010
9. Scientific supervisor:
Dr. Ho Thanh Tam, Department of History, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi.
10. Summary of the research findings of the thesis
This thesis surveys and presents the characteristics of Vietnamese folk beliefs about forests as expressed in folk songs and proverbs. In Vietnamese culture, forests are not only a resource but also possess a sacred value. When the Kinh people migrated to the Central Highlands (after 1975), they brought this mindset with them. However, the combination of traditional ecological thinking and modern economic thinking has led to intense conflicts in the exploitation of ecological value and the preservation of forest ecosystems in the Central Highlands. The inevitable consequence is the rapid and significant decline in the forest area of the Central Highlands over time.
Through the statistical analysis, coding, and processing of nearly 3,998 folk songs and 15,974 proverbs, totaling 19,972 units, the author found that approximately 15% of these folk songs and proverbs contain elements representing or related to forests, mountains, trees, and ecology. Vietnamese people consider forests a resource and a source of livelihood. For the Vietnamese, forests are also a space, a symbol of morality, and a regulator of social ethics, encompassing many philosophies of life.
This research paper finds that folk knowledge about forests contains many ecological ethical perceptions such as respect, restraint, and regeneration, which are essential elements for sustainable development today. The migration of Vietnamese people to the Central Highlands, carrying with them the names of their country and villages, as well as folk beliefs about forests from the lowlands to the mountains, has contributed to economic development while simultaneously causing ecological, cultural, and ethnic conflicts, disrupting environmental balance, reducing biodiversity, and breaking down the indigenous social structure.
11. Theoretical and practical contributions
This thesis explains the relationship between folk beliefs and ecological behavior. Through this, it affirms that folk knowledge is essential to support modern science. In particular, it is crucial to seriously study, consider, and apply this knowledge in community forest management, resettlement planning, and sustainable development.
The author proposes integrating folk knowledge education into the daily cultural activities of people living near and exploiting forests, and into textbook curricula from the high school level onwards, in subjects such as Experiential Activities - Career Guidance and Local Education. In addition, it is necessary to quickly restore sacred cultural spaces associated with forests, such as forest worship festivals, sacred forests, and traditional forest days.
12. Future research directions
Expanding the research to the Central Highlands, North Central region, and the midland region of Northern Vietnam, the aim is to understand the differences in folk perceptions of forests among Vietnamese communities in different ecosystems. This follows the period from 2014 to the present, when Vietnam "closed off natural forests" and shifted to models of ecological restoration, ecotourism, and community forest management.
It is possible to conduct surveys and research to explain the changes in the ecological mindset and behavior of Vietnamese people, especially the younger generation, towards forests in the context of urbanization, globalization, and the digital world. Through this, an ecological education program based on folk knowledge can be developed, incorporating folk songs and proverbs about forests into school curricula as a tool for nurturing an "ecological culture."
In policy planning and sustainable development, the research findings can be fully applied to design community-based forest management policies in the Central Highlands, taking into account indigenous culture and beliefs, as well as the mindset of Vietnamese migrants to the Central Highlands.
13. Related published works:Do not have.
INFORMATION ON PROJECT
1. Full name: NGUYEN THI DAO 2. Sex: Female
3. Date of birth: September 10, 1992 4. Place of birth: Hanoi
5. Admission decision number: 5626/QD-XHNV dated December 29, 2023, signed by the Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi.
6. Changes in academic process: None.
7. Official project title:
8. Major: Vietnamese History (Research-oriented Program);Code: 8229010
9. Supervisors:
Dr. Ho Thanh Tam, Lecturer, Faculty of History, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi.
10. Summary of the findings of the project:
The thesis surveys and presents the characteristics of the Vietnamese folk consciousness towards forests as reflected in proverbs and folk songs. In Vietnamese culture, the forest is not only a natural resource but also possesses sacred and spiritual attributes. When the Kinh people migrated to the Central Highlands (after 1975), they brought this consciousness with them. However, the combination of traditional ecological thinking and modern economic reasoning leads to intense conflicts in the process of exploiting ecological values and conserving the forest ecosystem in the Central Highlands. The inevitable result is that the forest area in the Central Highlands has declined rapidly and severely over time.
Through the classification, coding, and analysis of nearly 4,000 folk songs and 16,000 proverbs, the author found that about 15% of these contain elements that express or relate to forests, mountains, trees, and ecology. The Vietnamese perceive the forest as a resource and a means of livelihood. For them, the forest is also a space and a moral symbol, a regulator of social ethics, and a bearer of profound humanistic philosophies.
The study finds that folk knowledge about forests embodies various ethical perceptions of ecology, such as respect, restraint, and regeneration, which are essential elements for current orientations toward sustainable development. The process of Vietnamese migration to the Central Highlands—carrying with them the names of their homeland villages as well as their folk consciousness of the forest from the lowlands to the highlands—has contributed both to economic development and to ecological, cultural, and ethnic conflicts, causing environmental imbalance, biodiversity loss, and the disruption of indigenous social structures.
11. Practical applicability:
Future research should be expanded to include the Central Highlands, the North Central region, and the Northern Midland region, in order to examine the differences in folk consciousness toward forests among various groups of Vietnamese habitants living in distinct ecological systems. The study should also continue into the period after 2014, when Vietnam “closed its natural forests” and began shifting toward models of ecological restoration, eco-tourism, and community-based forest management.
Further research could also focus on analyzing and interpreting the transformation of ecological consciousness and behavior among Vietnamese people—especially younger generations—toward forests in the context of urbanization, globalization, and the digital world. Based on these findings, it would be possible to develop ecological education programs grounded in folk knowledge, integrating proverbs and folk songs about forests into school curricula as tools to nurture an “ecological culture.”
In terms of policy-making and sustainable development, the results of this research can be applied to the design of community-based forest management policies in the Central Highlands, taking into account indigenous cultural and spiritual elements as well as the folk ecological consciousness of Vietnamese migration to the region
12.Further research directions:
The research should be expanded to cover the Central Highlands, the North Central region, and the Northern Midland region, in order to explore the differences in folk consciousness toward forests among various groups of Vietnamese people living in different ecological systems. It should also continue into the period after 2014, when Vietnam implemented the policy of “closing natural forests” and shifted toward models of ecological restoration, eco-tourism, and community-based forest management.
Further studies may be conducted to investigate and interpret the transformation of ecological consciousness and behavior among Vietnamese people, particularly the younger generation's attitudes toward forests, in the context of urbanization, globalization, and the digital age. Based on such research, it would be possible to develop ecological education programs grounded in folk knowledge, integrating proverbs and folk songs about forests into school curricula as tools to foster an enduring “ecological culture.”
In the field of policy planning and sustainable development, the research findings can be effectively applied to the design of community-based forest management policies in the Central Highlands, with due consideration for indigenous cultural and spiritual factors as well as the folk ecological consciousness of Vietnamese migrants who have settled in the region.
13.Project -related publications: None
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