TTLV: Folk consciousness and behavior of Vietnamese people towards forest ecosystems: The case of the Central Highlands (1975-2014)

MASTER'S THESIS INFORMATION

1. Student's full name: NGUYEN THI DAO2. Gender: Female

3. Date of birth: 10/09/1992                                                              4. Place of birth: Hanoi

5. Decision to recognize student number: 5626/QD-XHNV dated December 29, 2023 of the President of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi.

6. Changes in the training process:Do not have

7. Topic name:Folk consciousness and behavior of Vietnamese people towards forest ecosystems: The case of the Central Highlands (1975-2014)

8. Major:Vietnamese History (research orientation); Code: 8229010

9. Scientific instructor:

Dr. Ho Thanh Tam, Faculty of History, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, VNU.

10. Summary of thesis research results

The thesis examines and presents the characteristics of Vietnamese people's folk consciousness about forests expressed through folk songs and proverbs. In Vietnamese culture, forests are not only resources but also have no sacredness. When Kinh people migrated to the Central Highlands (after 1975), they brought this consciousness with them, however, traditional ecological thinking combined with modern economic thinking led to fierce conflicts in the process of exploiting ecological values ​​and preserving forest ecology in the Central Highlands. The inevitable consequence is that the forest area of ​​the Central Highlands has decreased rapidly and strongly over time.

Through statistics, coding and processing of nearly 3,998 folk songs, 15,974 proverbs, a total of 19,972 units, the author has calculated that about 15% of the folk songs and proverbs contain elements that express or are related to forests, mountains, trees and ecology. Vietnamese people consider forests as resources, as a source of livelihood. Forests for Vietnamese people are also a space, a symbol of morality and a regulator of social ethics with many philosophies of life.

The thesis research found that folk knowledge about forests has many perceptions of ecological ethics such as respect, moderation, regeneration, which are very necessary factors for the current sustainable development orientation. The migration process of Vietnamese people to the Central Highlands, carrying with them the name of the country and the name of the village, and the folk consciousness about the forest from the plains to the mountains, has contributed to economic development, but also caused ecological - cultural - ethnic conflicts, environmental imbalance, biodiversity loss and the breakdown of indigenous social structures.

11. Theoretical and practical contributions

The thesis explains the relationship between folk consciousness and ecological behavior. Thereby affirming that folk knowledge is very necessary to complement modern science. In particular, it is extremely necessary to be researched, seriously considered and applied in community forest management, resettlement planning, and sustainable development.

The author proposes to integrate folk knowledge education into the daily cultural activities of people living near forests, exploiting forests, into textbooks from high school level with subjects such as Experiential Activities - Career Guidance and Local Education. In addition, it is also necessary to quickly restore sacred cultural spaces associated with forests such as forest worship festivals, sacred forests, and traditional days of returning to the forest.

12. Further research directions

Expanding the research to the Central Highlands, North Central and Northern midlands, to understand the differences in folk consciousness about forests between Vietnamese groups in different ecosystems. Continuing the period after 2014 until now, when Vietnam "closed natural forests" and shifted to ecological restoration models, ecotourism and community forest management.

It is possible to conduct surveys and research, and to reason about the changes in the consciousness and ecological behavior of Vietnamese people, especially the young generation, towards forests in the context of urbanization, globalization and the digital world. Thereby, building an ecological education program based on folk knowledge, including folk songs and proverbs about forests in school curricula as a tool to nurture "ecological culture".

In policy making and sustainable development, it is entirely possible to apply the research results to design community-based forest management policies in the Central Highlands, taking into account the cultural factors - indigenous beliefs and the consciousness of Vietnamese people migrating 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