In Vietnam, family is a basic social unit of the society.
Vietnamese family life is profoundly influenced by ancestor worship.
Children learn at a very early age that they owe everything to their
parents and their ancestors. When children do well in school and work
hard, they honour their parents and the family name. Respect for parents
and ancestors is extended to all elders, whose life experiences are
valued.
Marriage and family
are very important in Vietnam. In the countryside, parents often
arrange marriages; divorce remains uncommon, though is more frequent in
cities. In traditional Vietnamese families, roles are rigid. The man of
the house is primarily responsible for the family's economic well-being
and takes pride in his role as provider. Women are expected to submit to
their husbands or to their eldest sons when widowed, and girls to their
fathers. Older children help to look after younger siblings. Discipline
is viewed as a parental duty, and spanking is common once children are
past early childhood.
The woman of
the house is referred to as noi tro, "General of the Interior." She
looks after her in-laws as well as her parents, husband and children. In
rural areas, women also do much agricultural work. Vietnamese women
live by the "four virtues": hard work, beauty, refined speech and
excellent conduct.
Communism in the
1960's brought big changes for women, who were suddenly given equal
economic and political rights, as well as the right to choose their own
husband. Years of warfare and dislocation in camps have also altered
family roles. With so many men away at war, women took on many
traditionally male duties, including managing factories and
co-operatives.
Today, more and more
people are moving to cities, but most Vietnamese are still farmers.
Houses are sometimes built on stilts to avoid flooding. Materials such
as earth, straw and bamboo may be used for walls, and red clay tiles or
sheets of corrugated metal for roofs. City homes are often made with
brick, wood and/or tile.
Source: vietnamtourism.org.vn
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