Vietnam

 Behavior Multicultural Resource Guide      Alexsa R Cronise **Vietnam** 

** Geography **  Vietnam is an S shaped coastal country of the Eastern Indochinese Peninsula. It's surrounding countries include China, Laos, and Cambodia. The 3,260 kilometer coastline and it's coastal lowlands border the Gulf of Thailand, Gulf of Tonkin, and the South China Sea.

With a population of eighty four million plus people, fifty four ethnic minority groups, and Vietnamese as it's native language 85% of these people identify with Buddhism, 8% with Christianity, 3% Caodaism, and 4% choose other religious avenues. Vietnam's education system closely mimics our American systems with Kindergarten, elementary, middle schools, high schools, and then continued education in colleges and universities. Although schools are public and private, only students ages 6-11 attend free and mandatory school. After age 11 people have to pay tuition, which is why many families struggle to keep their children in school.

**History**

Archaeological finding suggest that people have inhibited the lands of Vietnam as far back as half a million years

(Ruled for the next 1,000 years)
 * 111 B.C - China's Han dynasty conquered
 * 939 A.D - Achieved independence under native dynasty
 * Vietnam moved gradually southward conquering parts of Vietnam. Civil Wars in the 17th and 18th centuries
 * 1858- French began conquest of Vietnam
 * 1885- Annexed all of Vietnam and paired with China, Cambodia, and Laos to make French Indochina
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">1945- March- Japanese took direct control during WWII
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">1945- September 2nd - Independence of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">1954- Agreement on the Cessation of Hostilities in Vietnam was signed between France and the Democratic republic of Vietnam
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">1954- Geneva agreement ceased fire between communist and non-communist forces
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">1955- South Vietnam declared itself the Republic of Vietnam
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">1969- United States, governments of South and North Vietnam, and Viet Cong met in Paris, France for the first session of peace talk.
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">1961-1969 - U.S military in Vietnam
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">1973- South was divided
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">1973- Signing of the Peace agreement
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">1975- Communists took over Saigon and claimed intent to reunify country
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">1976- July 2nd The Democratic Republic of Vietnam (north) absorbed the former Republic of Vietnam (south) to form to Socialist Republic of Vietnam
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">1978- Invasion of Cambodia
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">1979- Border War with Cambodia
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">1992 - Communist Party created the 1992 Constitution
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">2006 – Tenth party congress – Politburo elected

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">**Political Status**

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Vietnam stands politically as a single-party socialist republic under Communist Party control. The term socialist republic means that Vietnam supports the republican form of government but emphasizes on being a workers state. Political power is not distributed between executive, legislative, and judicial branches but rather a fourteen member Politburo. The Politburo's top four positions are the General Secretary, Minister of Public Security, State President, and Prime Minister. The Communist Central Committee made up of one hundred and sixty members, ultimately decide the roles and those elected within the Politburo.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">**Economic Situation**

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Until recently, Vietnam economy depended solely on their agriculture. In 1986, Vietnam redeveloped their economic plan including a mixed economy. Vietnam may still be the second largest rice exporter in the world but other exports have increased with the new economic plan. Other principal products of the 62.9 billion dollar exporting industry include maize, sweet potato, peanut, soya bean, cotton, coffee, cashews, fish, and shellfish. Coal, crude oil, zinc, copper, gold, silver, manganese, and iron are natural resources. Major contributions to the Vietnamese economy is contributed by the wholesale/ retail of food, garments, textiles, and crafts. The service, construction, manufacturing and tourism industries are also huge contributions to the economy. Overall, in 2008, the GDP of Vietnam continues to flourish at $84.98 billion.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">**Behavior**  || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">**Possible Misunderstandings**  || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">**Strategies**  || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Sitting quietly and listening attentively || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Sitting quietly and listening in Vietnamese culture is a sign of respect. In mainstream culture this behavior could been seen as passivity and non-responsiveness. || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Ask questions to probe for comprehension. Encourage students to engage in conversations and activities. Explain the importance of participating and that by asking questions || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Avoiding eye contact when speaking or being spoken to || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Avoiding eye contact in Vietnamese culture is a sign or respect. In mainstream culture it could be seen as acting Suspicious, unreliable, or mischievous. || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">When reviewing classroom rules and those concerning 'respect others and their belongings' explain to students that making eye contact when speaking or being spoken to is a sign of respect in mainstream culture filled classrooms. || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Smiling when being scolded or reprimanded || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Smiling in Vietnamese culture is a sign of an apology or thank you. If a student was smiling while being reprimanded they may be viewed as being over enthusiastic, sarcastic, or mocking. || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">When being reprimanded if a student is smiling give students the option of expressing their feelings with words. Ask whether they are sorry they did whatever it is that they did or if they think something about this is funny? || “<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Thank you” || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">In Vietnamese culture thank yous are non verbal and communicated as a smile. If one receives a compliment they never respond with a thank you and this may be seen as rude or non-responsiveness. || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Do a lesson on common American courtesy and respecting others within the classroom. Have students reenact certain instances such as giving and receiving a compliment, responding with a thank you. Explain that this is the type of etiquette that should be used in the classroom. || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Pointing || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Pointing in the Vietnamese culture is a sign of disrespect. If a teacher points to the student, they may become offended. || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Begin the beginning of the year by explaining to students that they are to raise their hands if they want to speak and that they will be called on verbally or by a gesture such as pointing. Explain that this is no sign of disrespect but is often a quicker method of calling on students. || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Crossing Arms || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Crossing arms in Vietnamese culture is a sign of respect. The mainstream culture may view this behavior as unhappiness, anger, frustration, or disregard. || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Share with students a poster of feeling and emotions described by different smiley faces showing these feelings and emotions. Have students volunteer to act out each emotion. For unhappiness/ frustration/ anger make sure that crossing one's arms is reenacted by students. ||

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">**References**

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> Vietnam Culture (2006-2009)  <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">// Non-Verbal Communication //  <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">. Retrieved September 28, 2009 from  __[]__

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> Central Intelligence Agency (2009) World Fact Book: Vietnam. Retrieved September 28, 2009 from   __[]__

[|__U.S Department of State (2009) Vietnam Background Notes. Retrieved September 29, 2009 from__][|__http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/4130.htm__]