1. Course Description

This course offers an interdisciplinary introduction to Vietnam as a multi-ethnic nation. Through the lenses of anthropology, history, cultural studies, and linguistics, students explore the formation of Vietnam’s diverse ethnic communities and the socio-cultural dynamics that shape contemporary Vietnamese society.

The class is structured as a narrative with multiple thematic “chapters,” tracing Vietnamese life from traditional beliefs and social structures to modern cultural expressions such as cinema, youth culture, and digital language.

Materials in Vietnamese, Chinese, and English—including academic texts, journal articles, and documentary films—will be used.

2. Course Learning Outcomes 

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

Knowledge

1. Describe the historical formation of Vietnam as a multi-ethnic nation.
2. Identify major cultural regions and analyze their defining features.
3. Explain Vietnam’s ethnic policies and the social dynamics among ethnic groups.

Skills

4. Analyze socio-cultural phenomena in Vietnam using interdisciplinary approaches.
5. Engage critically with ethnographic, historical, and documentary sources.
6. Present arguments orally and in writing on Vietnamese ethnic and cultural issues.

Attitudes / Perspectives

7. Develop greater appreciation for Vietnam’s cultural diversity.
8. Recognize how historical, religious, and linguistic factors shape modern Vietnamese society.

3. Required & Recommended Texts

No single textbook is required. Weekly readings are drawn from books, articles, and documentaries. Key references include:

• Đặng Nghiêm Vạn (2007), Cộng đồng Quốc gia Dân tộc Việt Nam.
• Dang Nghiem Van et al. (2016), Ethnic Minorities in Vietnam.
• Mark W. McLeod & Nguyen Thi Dieu (2001), Culture and Customs of Vietnam.
• Ngô Đức Thịnh (2019), Văn hoá Vùng và Phân vùng Văn hoá Việt Nam.
• Ngo Nhu Binh (2010), Vietnamese Continuing.
• Nguyen Van Huy (2016), Studies of the Cham Community in Vietnam.
• Rie Nakamura (2020), A Journey of Ethnicity: In Search of the Cham of Vietnam.
• Trần Quốc Vượng (2020), Cơ sở Văn hoá Việt Nam.

Additional materials will be posted weekly.

4. Course Requirements & Assignments

4.1. Weekly Preparation

• Complete assigned readings before each class.
• Participate actively in discussions.

4.2. Class Participation (20%)

Includes attendance, engagement, preparedness, and contribution during discussions.

4.3. Final Paper (50%)

A research paper (8–12 pages) on a topic related to ethnicity, culture, or society in Vietnam.

• Proposal due Week 8
• Final paper due Week 16

4.4. Final Presentation (30%)

During Week 16, students deliver a 10–12 minute presentation based on their research paper.

5. Grading Breakdown

• Class Participation: 20%
• Final Research Paper: 50%
• Final Presentation: 30%

6. Teaching Methods

This course uses a mixed instructional approach:

• Lectures
• Guided readings
• Class discussion
• Documentary screenings
• Student presentations

7. Weekly Course Schedule 

Part I: Vietnam—The Land and Its Peoples

Week 1 – Land, Peoples, and Language

Week 2 – Cultural Regions in Vietnam (I)

Week 3 – Cultural Regions in Vietnam (II)

Week 4 – Minority Peoples and Ethnic Policies

Week 5 – The Chinese and Cham Communities in Vietnam

Part II: Society and Culture—Past and Present

Week 6 – Family, Gender, and Youth Culture

Week 7 – Beliefs and Religions in Vietnamese Life

Week 8 – Festivals and Leisure Activities

Week 9 – Literature and Social Life in Vietnam

(Focus on literature’s connection to social, religious, and cultural life—not literary analysis.)

Week 10 – Language in the “@ Era”

Week 11 – Cinema and Traditional Theatre

Week 12 – Traditional and Contemporary Music

Week 13 – Vietnamese Cuisine

Week 14 – Vietnam in Cultural Exchange with the World

Week 15 – Modern Vietnam: Opportunities and Challenges

Week 16 – Final Presentations & Course Wrap-Up