Invitation to write papers for the international scientific conference "Anthropology and environment in contemporary Vietnam"

Natural disaster (natural disasters) and man-made disasters (human-made disasters) are specific harsh manifestations of larger changes in environmental conditions, and the relationship between humans and the environment today, causing multi-faceted impacts on human life in mountainous, delta, coastal, and urban areas of Vietnam. The Vietnamese government has issued many policies and implemented many action programs to respond to and minimize the harmful effects of environmental change in general, and natural disasters and man-made disasters in particular. At the same time, communities and households also have their own ways of responding to natural disasters, such as storms, floods, landslides, or negative impacts from urban, industrial, agricultural, hydroelectric development projects, etc.

In that context, exploring how people and the state in Vietnam have thought and behaved towards environmental change and crisis is very necessary, has particularly profound scientific and practical significance, especially in the current situation of the Covid-19 pandemic. The concept of environment includes social environment, cultural environment, technological environment, institutional environment, economic environment and natural environment. Anthropologists have long been interested in and have many advantages in comparative approaches and methodologies to study and clarify experiences of environmental change and the multifaceted impacts of environmental change. Ethnographic analyses promise to clarify state policies and actions, and explore diverse responses of individuals, households, communities, and ethnic groups to environmental conditions in general, natural disasters and human-caused disasters in particular in urban areas, plains, coastal areas, mountainous areas, etc. in particular.

The University of Social Sciences and Humanities – VNU organizes this conference for anthropologists and researchers to share research results and discuss environmental issues in contemporary Vietnam. Using an anthropological approach, each paper should focus on analyzing and discussing at least one of the following topics:

• Perspectives and methods of environmental anthropological research
• The reality of environmental change, and the multifaceted impacts of environmental change
• Environmental policy and government response to environmental change, natural disasters, or man-made disasters
• Worldview and dynamics in the relationship between humans and the environment, coping methods of individuals, households, communities and ethnic groups with environmental change, natural disasters and man-made catastrophes
• Awareness and response to the Covid-19 pandemic

Time and place

• Time: One day, December 8, 2021
• Location: University of Social Sciences and Humanities, 336 Nguyen Trai, Thanh Xuan, Hanoi.

Conference format

• Vietnamese and international delegates in Hanoi can join the conference at the hall at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, or online.
• International delegates from abroad participate in the conference online.
• Conference language: Vietnamese and English

Time of submission of report

• Abstract submission deadline (250-300 words): July 15, 2021
• Invitation to submit full paper: August 1, 2021
• Deadline for full paper submission (approximately 7,000 – 9,000 words): November 15, 2021
• Invitation to the Workshop: November 21, 2021
• Workshop: December 8, 2021

Contact address
Abstracts, full reports and related issues should be sent to:

• Organizing Committee:environment.anth.ussh@gmail.com
• Nguyen Vu Hoang: hv.nguyen.ussh@gmail.com
• Ngo Thi Chang: ngochangntc@gmail.com; phone: 0941903855

Invitation Details: English and Vietnamese seehere