Social Inequality in Vietnam and the Challenges to Reform

Social inequalities have grown during Vietnam’s transition to a market-based economy, even as average incomes have increased and the number of people living in poverty has lessened. Do widening social rifts –- between rich and poor, urban and rural communities and along regional, gender and ethnic lines -– have the potential to undermine Vietnam’s liberal reforms and its integration with its region? How has the socialist state responded to these challenges? Based on research and analysis of recent conditions, Social Inequality in Vietnam and the Challenges to Reform offers detailed descriptions of disparities in income, spatial access, gender, ethnicity and status, addressing their causes and consequences. The eleven chapters in this book illustrate the changing ways in which people have accumulated wealth, social and cultural capital in Vietnam’s move from a socialist to a market-oriented society. They assemble data from the Northern Uplands to the Mekong delta to explore geographic variability in patterns of social differentiation. Offering critical insights into state policy, the chapters assess the adequacy of government responses and outline local responses and informal solutions to social disadvantage. This book features a diverse mix of theoretical and methodological approaches and bridges some of the disciplinary and institutional divides that have impeded understanding of inequality in Vietnam. The wide range of themes it covers will make it a sought-after resource for those interested in contemporary Vietnam and the effects of liberal reforms, globalization and post-socialist development strategies.