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Characteristics of Traditional Vietnamese Families in History (22895) - Studocu
Some Characteristics of Traditional
Vietnamese Families in History Mai Van Hai * Abstr
act: The paper introduces some typical characteristics of Vietnamese family values before
its cultural, civilized exchanges, integration with the West. Vietnamese family’s fundamental
characteristics are categorized into three groups in relation to natural environment, between man to
man and inside each person mind. The author argues that those family values are permanent and
hardly changed due to fundamental socio-economic factors such as a self-provided small farm
production, Vietnamese village stratification, the effects of Confucius ethics, and from cultural
perspective that the Vietnamese strong wish to own land. The paper shows that Vietnamese family
values are a very potential area with diversified features that needs to gain more research in the coming time.
Key words: Family, family value, Vietnamese system, value in history.
Researchers should always pay attention In this article, the author mentions universal
to history of the issues when they start their values rather than small differences (especial y
research, and Vietnamese system of family family value in social groups), which should
value is no exception. The question is that be done by experimental researches.
how it was formed and revealed as well as
1. Major expression of family value
its fundamental characteristics? And, what
Until 1960s, Vietnam civilization was
are the social and natural factors that affect agricultural with population mainly peasants
its operation? The answer is obviously out working in agriculture, village is the main
of reach of any individual or any single structural unit and culture reflects village,
article, because family value system is commune relations (Vũ Quốc Thúc, 1950;
various and diversified: it is distinguished Trần Quốc Vượng, 2000). And each family
not only in each ethnic people, religion but in that civilization lived and had relations
also in each group’s social stratification. with all three habitats: nature (concrete,
Furthermore, in specific time of history, that organic), society (in relation with others)
system may contain abundantly different and innate. Based on this classification, we
sense and layouts. It is therefore a challenge present Vietnamese family’s fundamental
to present this system in a single paper.
values in three categories.(*)
Regarding this issue, historian Đào Duy
1.1. Value in relation with natural environment
Anh (1938) considers cultural phenomena
Several researchers have pointed out that
are in fact self-evolving, they are more most Vietnamese family in the past enjoyed
similar than different. However, he just
describes similarities rather than difference.
(*) Assoc. Prof., Ph.D., Institute of Sociology. 31 21:14, 09/01/2026
Characteristics of Traditional Vietnamese Families in History (22895) - Studocu
Vietnam Social Sciences, No. 4(168) - 2015
rice, vegetables and fish in their meals. dish on their altar representing five values
They wore simple clothes, only essential people wish (richness, nobility, longevity,
things: male wore kilt, later trousers; female health, happiness), some even post pictures
used skirts and brassiere, which were and statues of luck, gift and longevity gods.
different from Chinese style. Another
Value of subordinate system in relation
distinguished feature in terms of food and to the environment is generally assessed as
clothes is that they ate betel and dying their the product of vegetable civilization – the
teeth black. Vietnamese people liked to live term coined by P. Gorou-with its foundation
near their relatives. They preferred to live in of smal scale agriculture using much human
their own house, though theirs in general labor towards self-providing “growing rice,
quite simple: the roof was mainly made of knitting clothes and building houses from
straw and the house was made of bamboo bamboo in the yards for their own needs”
in the yards. Their main crop was rice (Đào Duy Anh, 2000: 412). That is the
forcing them to reside in one place for a culture that tends to optimally adapt to the
long time, which made transportation current environment (Trần Quốc Vượng,
sluggish to develop: they got used to walk 2000: 187-191). We could also mention that
or row boats and they often did not go far the natural and social environment is the from their villages.
base for the establishment of community
Through thousand years of adapting characteristics in family life and community.
environment with limited resources of We will have a deeper look into this in the
economic tools and commodity, essential next parts.
values were formed. For examples, people
1.2. Values in the relation between man
prioritized sustainable food and durable and man
clothes. Thanks to tropically humid regions,
Regarding the family structure in agricultural
people highly regarded direction of their societies in the world, Alvin Toffler wrote
houses to the South, “like marrying a good in his book “The third wave”: “In any
wife”. Being different to nomads or agriculture dominated society, people tend
businesspeople, those long cultivating wet to live in big houses sharing with many
rice appreciated durable living in one place generations and working together like a
for better development. From reality, family production unit (Alvin Toffler, 2007: 87).
values were cumulated in production such However, Vietnamese genealogy has divided
as hardworking and land love: “an acre of into small family, and in most cases they
land worth a ton of gold”, saving habits were core family consisting of parents and
were appraised, protecting health was welcomed. their children. Each family has their own
The above values reflects essential demands budget, property and economy (Nguyễn Từ
in family life, and beside these needs people Chi, 2013: 228-230). It is assumed that this
also have some more desires such better family structure is appropriate for agricultural
accommodation and fashion. That explains production and life style of people in the
why on anniversaries, people put a five fruit community. 32 21:14, 09/01/2026
Characteristics of Traditional Vietnamese Families in History (22895) - Studocu
Some Characteristics of Traditional Vietnamese Families in History
Like relation to natural environment, the protect each other.
mutual relation among members of small
Looking back at the values of family
family, or between small family with their cultural behaviors, we can see that those
neighbors and relatives has established values have created close, kinship relations
distinguished value system. For examples, among members and made family become
in the relation between husband and wife, stable and sustainable before all changes.
loyalty and love are priority demands. There Of course, this little value system has been
are several literature verses mentioning this affected by foreign factors like Buddhism,
relation, such as: “Long live marriage, no Confucius, Christian religions, especially its
matter catching fish in the stream or picking vocabulary. Eventually, that value system
vegetable in the wood”; or, “I love my belongs to village, commune structure and
husband despite his humble appearance, culture under Southeast Asian structure, or in
and I pay no attention to yours”. That love short, it belongs to Vietnamese agricultural
and loyalty have not been built over night, civilization.
they have a deep root. In the context of pre-
1.3. Inner value of people’s spiritual life
industrial society, marriage loyalty was a
Spiritual life, specifically religion is very
big value without which family could be diversified and various, it reflects not only
broken, children were left miserable and parents belief, knowledge but also happiness,
could rely on nobody. It is therefore necessary anger, love and dislike and people’s hope
for all to keep loyalty in that context.
for better life. Being unable to discuss all
In the relation between parents and these aspects, we can only focus on two
children, people appreciate factors such as fundamental issues to family life: their
number of children, respect and kindness, awareness to their root and the hope for a
loyalty. When a mother gives birth to a better striving life.
child, its parents should always love their
As we all know, Vietnamese family line
descendant. In return, children should pay has a common custom to build a temple to
filial piety to their parents. That notion has worship their ancestors. Twice a year, all
been mentioned in the Kiều story written by male gather to clean the tombs and pay rites
Nguyễn Du (Huỳnh Công Bá, 2008: 376). to those ancestors. In family level, the rich
For showing their gratefulness to their parents, build their own temple while the medium
sons should follow study career and graduate and the poor establish an altar in the middle
while daughters ought to practice four values of the house, even those live on boats in the
“work, beauty, speech, virtue”. Among all rivers also have a smaller one. The dead
brothers and sisters, they are assumed to parents and ancestors are worshipped on the
take care of each other. People believe that first and fifteen day of the lunar month, they
brothers given birth by the same mother are are also asked to help their descendants
produced from the same bag, so they should manage their tasks. This is a national and
love each other and when they become family typical feature of culture, which is
adults, they still need to cohere, cover and often referred to as ancestor worshipping 33 21:14, 09/01/2026
Characteristics of Traditional Vietnamese Families in History (22895) - Studocu
Vietnam Social Sciences, No. 4(168) - 2015
religion. It sees the dead exist beside their do not tend to pay much attention to
descendants, therefore they should be paid academic thinking in religion such as
rites in the first and middle days of the universal foundation and creation, or deep
lunar months as if they are still alive. practice of worshipping.
Significantly, after rites close relatives often
Additionally, there are practical values have meals together.
of everyday life submerged in superscripted
Mentioning the social sense of this rites because it is the time for enhancing
phenomenon, the researcher Đoàn Văn Chúc independence and verifying community
(1997: 133) wrote: “In any anniversary of connection among kinship people, fostering
the family or clan, all members gather to spiritual belief and strength as well as hope
express the value of the group they constitute for prosperity, namely good weather for
and belong to. Hence, social coherence is better crop and long life, happiness people.
reestablished and suspect, conflict may be
2. Evergreen family value system
alleviated or even diminished”. Vũ Tự Lập et
Mentioning the features covering Vietnamese
al. state in Văn hóa và cư dân đồng bằng sông culture until contacting with Western civilization,
Hồng (Red River Delta Culture and Population): researchers believe that its permanent socio-
“Ancestors are not just those who were economic foundation is hardly changed
dead, but those who surround, guide and therefore the culture will contain permanence
support their descendants. The significant characteristics (Đào Duy Anh, 2000: 393;
points of the Red River population are Nguyễn Thừa Hỷ, 2011: 26). Đào Duy Anh
revealed when they merge past into present, states that: “This culture has not been changed
transform past power to integrate the for a long time, it is because of agricultural
modern time, connect ancestors’ strength with production manner. In all aspects, we can
offspring life” (Vũ Tự Lập and et al, 1991: 176). see the past values exist in the modern time,
Besides worshipping their own ancestors, that is why we cannot develop as fast as the
most Vietnamese families have rites served Western nations” (Đào Duy Anh, 2000: 393).
in each lunar month, starting with Lunar Researcher Nguyễn Thừa Hỷ supports this
New Year, then January 15th, early March opinion: “The motif and tradition of culture
festival, March 3rd, May 5th, July 15th, is often permanent with slow, minimal
August 15th, September 9th, October 10th, change. There has not been a cultural
October 15th, December 23rd. People also revolution that leads to a change of cultural
set altars worshipping different gods. New model” (Nguyễn Thừa Hỷ, 2011: 32).
Year lunar holiday is a symbol and a factual
The above characteristics mentioned by
icon mainly for weather, in a fixed time to these two researchers are drawn at national
pray for prosperity, good health and inspire cultural and civilized level as well as family
producers before any agricultural activity cultural scale in history. For example,
time (Đoàn Văn Chúc, 1997: 132). Adding Vietnamese people used to worship their
to this opinion, Nguyễn Thừa Hỷ (2011: descendants and practice holiday to realize
262) states that ordinary Vietnamese people weather change for crop production, appreciated 34 21:14, 09/01/2026
Characteristics of Traditional Vietnamese Families in History (22895) - Studocu
Some Characteristics of Traditional Vietnamese Families in History
loyalty between husband and wife, highly duck, goose and cattle such as buffalo, cow
regarded relative relationship, and transferred and pig. In addition, there are knitting frame
knowledge and experience through time.
for producing clothes. We could see the
That permanent characteristic happens whole national economy in one household
not only in time-consuming spiritual and economy (Nguyễn Hồng Phong, 2005:
cultural aspects but also in quick changed 420). It is the stereotype of self providing at
socio-economic section. It is this slow minimal level that has made its members
change that surprises foreign tourists and feel secured and independent enough to
researchers. Vietnamese peasants carry low avoid any change.
priced products in the long distance to trade
Second, it is about social structure. Until
while modern transportation is also applied 1938 (60 years from French invasion), there
in the same rout with respect to the idea that were 92% population living in rural areas
time is money (Vũ Quốc Thúc, 1950: 11).
(Vũ Quốc Thúc, 1950: 35), or the village
This raises another question that why structure in Vietnam remained unchanged.
before contacting Western culture and civilization That structure consists of five categories: in
especial y industrialization, Vietnamese culture term of geography: village, lane; regard
sustained its original characteristics so long. kinship: relative; with age: the old, the
It may be because Vietnamese culture is youngster and the children; for working
based on family line and sentiment, people union, staff, and voluntary members: union,
highly regard next generation and appreciate wing (Nguyễn Từ Chi, 2013: - 222 276). Of
peace and harmony rather than competition course, these groups are different in terms
(Đào Duy Anh, 2000: 389-392).
of scale, organization manner and their
Those suggestions are reasonable, and functions in the villages. Despite their variety,
Đào Duy Anh tries to explain the they share a common feature: the group
permanent, little changed characteristics of members of each group are mainly from
Vietnamese culture in history. With regard families in the village and their action (except
to family value system and form sociology union of bartender, painters, and builders)
perspective, this is because of the following take place within the village. The limitation fundamental reasons.
of space makes them hard to exchange and
First, Vietnamese traditional economy learn knowledge from outside world.
which all households take part is a small
Third, culturally important factor is the
scale, self provided model requiring hard effects of Confucius with the core of patriarch
labor and more or less of closed circles. In system. Those dogmas were constituted and
that context, each community in general codified in legal documents, and more important,
and every single household in particular they were taught in village schools by
could produce all what they need. In their Confucian teachers through generations.
field, they grow all from rice, cassava, Despite initially reasonable Confucius theory,
bean, sesame, peanut, strawberry; the same it has revealed weaknesses and defects.
with their garden, they harvest in all four Confucius, by its very nature, encourages
seasons. They raise poultry like chicken, people to return to the past, not move forward 35 21:14, 09/01/2026
Characteristics of Traditional Vietnamese Families in History (22895) - Studocu
Vietnam Social Sciences, No. 4(168) - 2015
to the future. It completely prioritizes should be more studies regarding the issues
community and paternalist privilege while of family values.
ignoring equality and freedom including
members’ freedom to choose their partners. References
The Confucius dogmas became a barrier to
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Characteristics of Traditional Vietnamese Families in History (22895) - Studocu
Some Characteristics of Traditional Vietnamese Families in History 37 21:14, 09/01/2026
Characteristics of Traditional Vietnamese Families in History (22895) - Studocu