Rural Youth, Schools, and Communities in Transition: A Decade After the Extension of Hanoi, Vietnam

• In Event: Marriott Roundtable Session 10
  In Roundtable Session: Division G Roundtable Session 3

Abstract

In 2008, under the establishment of a landmark policy, the administrative boundary of Hanoi capital—historically known as an urban, metropolitan hub Vietnam—was extended to include the outlying, nonurban areas. The policy has been highly controversial. Using an ethnographic interview approach, this study examines how the 2008 Hanoi’s administrative boundary extension has influenced the sense of place, educational opportunities, and socioeconomic and cultural values of youth, schools, and communities in non-urban, newly added districts. The findings reveal that the extension of Hanoi’s administrative boundaries has (1) not replaced the symbolic meanings of Hanoi in the mindset of rural community members, (2) created rapid economic and sociocultural changes in rural communities, and yet (3) delayed the process of school improvement.

Author

• Chi Nguyen, University of Arizona