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Socio-Economic Transformation and Gender Relations in Lao PDR

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Socio-Economic Transformation and Gender Relations in Lao PDR Socio-Economic Transformation and Gender Relations in Lao PDR Damdouane Khouangvichit Department of Social and Economic Geography 901 87 Umeå Umeå 2010 GERUM - Kulturgeografi 2010:1 Department of Social and Economic Geography Umeå University SE – 901 87 UMEÅ, Sweden Tel.: +46 90 786 7152 Fax: +46 90 786 6359 http://www.geo.umu.se E-mail: [email protected] [email protected] Copyright©Damdouane Khouangvichit ISBN: 978-91-978344-2-1 ISSN: 1402-5205 Print och media Umeå, Sweden, 2010 Acknowledgements ‘No one is too old for studying’. This expression has been in my mind throughout my period of studying at the department of Social and Economic Geography at Umeå University. Having an opportunity to be a PhD candidate when I was nearly fifty years old, in a country far away from my hometown, in a white place with long dark winters, I have placed myself in a new physical and social environment for around five years. With hesitation and without much belief in the expression above, I started to plunge deeply into the process of learning and working with my research project. I did this within the warmness and friendship from my new colleagues at the department, who sincerely have supported me. Deep friendships have developed through daily interaction at the work place with Linda Sandberg, Jenny Olofsson and Erika Sandow, my three close friends. Despite the age difference, we have built a strong friendship, which is an important part of the success of my studies. Coming from a country of the South, with a different academic background, I have had to struggle to adapt myself to a new social milieu and to learn how to study independently. Fortunately and with guidance and advice from my supervisors, which is a significant part of the success of this research project, I have been able to handle all obstacles. Therefore, I would like to thank Aina Tollefsen and Gunnar Malmberg, my distinctive supervisors. With two brilliant supervisors, I have worked with confidence to overcome all difficulties. Their constructive and valuable suggestions and comments helped me to build new knowledge and to work productively on my research project, and I finally have been able to come up with this small piece of academic work. Especially, I would like to express my special and deepest thanks to Aina Tollefsen, an outstanding supervisor, for your unique qualification and your constructive and supportive advice. Without your support and excellent guidance, and the friendly working atmosphere, I would probably not have been able to complete this work. I would say that I am a very lucky person having an incomparable supervisor like you. I will never forget how high quality of advising can be provided in order to help students to achieve their studies. A special thanks to Magnus Strömgren who made perfect tables and maps for my thesis, without him I would never have been able to fulfil this difficult task. I also would like to thank Erika Sörensson, who spent valuable time to read my thesis for the pre-dissertation seminar and who suggested me how I could improve my work. Thanks to the Department of Social and Economic Geography for providing space and facilities during my study. Thanks to all professors, staff i and PhD students for your kindness, friendship and support during my present at the Department; particularly thanks to Erik Bäckström, Lotta Brännlund and Margit Söderberg, who enabled me to access necessary facilities and information. Erik Bäckström has always been ready to help when I have had problems with the computer system or with accessibility to information. During my fieldwork I have been kindly supported by the district governors and their staff both in Vang Vieng and Vilabury districts. Thank you for all your support, especially thanks to Banchong, Khamma and Kittisack who made a lot of efforts to help me with the interviews as well as giving me valuable suggestions during the three years of my fieldwork. Thanks to the Faculty of Social Sciences, National University of Laos and to Sida/SAREC for providing me the opportunity to fulfil this research project. I also want to thank all my Lao friends in Umeå, with whom I share all the difficulties and happiness in a country far away from home. Without the support of my family, my husband, my daughters, I would not have been able to complete my studies, therefore I would like to thank all of you for supporting me to overcome all difficulties in fulfilling my task. Umeå, April 2010 Damdouane Khouangvichit ii Map of Lao PDR and research sites CHINA N MYANMAR VIETNAM Vang Vieng district # # Vientiane Vilabury district # # Savannakhet THAILAND Provincial border Region Centre North CAMBODIACAMBODIA South iii Table of Contents Acknowledgements i Table of Contents iv Abbreviations vii List of figures ix List of tables x I. Introduction 1 1.1. From my childhood to my work, tracing the roots of my research interests 1 1.2. Background of the study 3 1.3. Aim of the study 6 1.4. Theoretical framework 7 1.4.1. Space and place and interrelations between space, place and gender 7 1.4.2. The concept of globalization 11 1.4.3. The concept of development and development agencies as actors of change 12 1.4.4. The concepts of livelihood and livelihood strategies 15 1.4.5. Recapitulation of the theoretical framework 17 1.5. Methodological considerations 19 1.5.1. Grounded Theory 21 1.5.2. Narrative analysis 22 1.5.3. Data collection and data management 24 1.6. Disposition of the thesis 30 II. Exposition to the scene 32 2.1. Introduction 32 2.2. The space of Laos and its population 32 2.2.1. The space of Laos 32 2.2.2. The population of Laos 34 2.3. The process of national economic transformation in Laos 36 2.3.1. The economic and political environment of the new regime of 1975 36 2.3.2. A body with fragile legs 38 2.4. Laos in the flow of transition to a market-oriented economy 39 2.4.1. Profound change in the arena of the economy 40 2.4.2. Brief overview of the economy 42 2.4.3. Economic growth after NEM 42 2.4.4. Increase of FDI in the mining sector 45 2.4.5. Expansion of the tourism industry 47 2.5. Gender ideology and gender relations in Laos 49 2.5.1. Lao traditional gender ideology 50 2.5.2. Three goods and two duties: new values or an old ideology? 51 iv 2.5.3. State policy towards gender equality and women’s empowerment 52 2.5.4. Women’s organizations in Laos 53 2.5.5. Gender patterns in Laos 55 2.5.6. Participation in the political arena and leadership positions 56 2.6. Conclusion 58 III. Sepone gold-copper mine - socio-economic change and gender relations in Vilabury district, Savannakhet province 60 3.1. Introduction 60 3.2. Placing the Sepone investment 61 3.2.1. A hidden richness 61 3.2.2. Vilabury district 62 3.2.3. The research site 64 3.2.4. The Camp – an island of private property 67 3.3. Nam Lai Fai Savang and socio-spatial transformations 69 3.3.1. Development projects 69 3.3.2. Nam Lai Fai Savang - local socio-spatial transformations 71 3.3.3. Development of infrastructure 72 3.3.4. The meaning of wealth - improvement of housing conditions 73 3.3.5. Increase in income and living standard 74 3.4. New forms of livelihoods 76 3.4.1. New shapes of pentagons of capitals 77 3.4.2. From Na cultivation to paid work livelihoods 80 3.4.3. From Hay cultivation to wage workers and cash income earners 87 3.4.4. From paid work to small business 89 3.4.5. From self-sufficient agricultural cultivation to market based agricultural cultivation 90 3.5. Good fruits and bitter tastes 94 3.5.1. Poverty 94 3.5.2. The unsolved problem of compensation 97 3.5.3. Dropout of students 102 3.5.4. The legacy of war 106 3.5.5. ‘No seller no buyer’ and the problem of the contract 110 3.5.6. Dependency 113 3.5.7. Uncertainty of livelihoods, Houa Xang Hang Nou 115 3.5.8. Inequality, social stratification and feelings of exclusion 121 3.5.9. Youth behavior and the fluidity of space and place 124 3.6. Gender relations 126 3.6.1. Understanding the public and domestic spheres 126 3.6.2. Changing gender relations in the economic sphere 127 3.6.3. Gender relations in housework 129 3.6.4. Women in the arenas of politics and community work 132 3.7. Actors/agencies of development 134 3.7.1. The state organizations 134 v 3.7.2. The Camp - Lane Xang Minerals and subcontractor companies 135 3.7.3. Local actors – the villagers 136 3.7.4. Intermediary actors – playmakers in the midfield 137 3.7.5. Power relations and the incident of patronage and dependency 138 3.8. Conclusions 139 IV. International tourism and local transformation in Vang Vieng district144 4.1 Introduction 144 4.2. Tourism and economic development in Laos 144 4.2.1. Tourism and development 144 4.2.2. Tourism in Laos 147 4.2.3. Tourism development potential 149 4.2.4. Understanding pro-poor tourism 150 4.3. Vang Vieng, a place in-between 151 4.4. Increasing numbers of tourists and income growth 153 4.5.
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