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Vietnamese Youth in Contemporary Hanoi

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Vietnamese Youth in Contemporary Hanoi ISSN 1653-2244 INSTITUTIONEN FÖR KULTURANTROPOLOGI OCH ETNOLOGI DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY AND ETHNOLOGY Changing food choices in a changing city: Vietnamese youth in contemporary Hanoi By Tommi Helmisaari 2015 MASTERUPPSATSER I KULTURANTROPOLOGI Nr 57 2 ABSTRACT This thesis discusses the changing society and how the urban setting affects how and where people spend their time socializing and eating. The city of Hanoi has undergone changes, which have had an impact on people’s movements, consumption choices and street traders’ livelihood in the city. There are also issues with housing that have arisen, mainly because the city’s expanding growth. The youth of today are living in quite a different social context society than their parents and especially grandparents, due to economic reforms that have rapidly increased the foreign investment and flow of information from the outside world. This has led to some diverging and sometimes conflicting opinions arising from people of different ages possibly having other ideals and values than their parents and grandparents. The state ideals and global influences also affect people’s behaviour and opinions and food choices. I will describe the food scene and changes that have happened to it, due to foreign influences and trade. This study is mainly based on secondary sources, combined with a case study of young people’s eating out food choices based upon my own fieldwork in Hanoi, Vietnam from February to April, 2013. I will situate and contextualize what part food plays for the youths and exploring the difference between street food and fast food and why people would choose one over the other. Key words: Youth, Food, street food, fast food, public space, globalization, Vietnam, Hanoi. 3 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am very thankful for all the help that I’ve received throughout the years. I would especially like to thank my supervisor Eren Zink for his most valuable comments and support during all steps of the thesis process, from the planning, to the fieldwork to the writing. I’m also grateful for the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) for financially assisting me to conduct fieldwork in Vietnam. I would also like to thank CRES in Hanoi who were very helpful in assisting me with the Visa application and giving valuable advice. I would also like to extend a thank to the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven and the interesting courses provided by the Masters of Social and Cultural Anthropology programme that broadened and deepened my perspective of Cultural Anthropology during my exchange semester. I want to express my humble gratitude to my informants, whose kindness and help have been invaluable and this thesis would not have been possible without them. My family has been most supportive and encouraging me along the years and I can’t thank you enough. Finally, I’m very thankful for Uppsala University and the Department of Cultural Anthropology and Ethnology and for all the most valuable knowledge, insights, discussions and help that I’ve come across through the Masters programme from the lecturers and from fellow students. 4 CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................. 8 1.1 RESEARCH QUESTION ...................................................................................... 8 1.2 OUTLINE OF THESIS ........................................................................................ 10 2. METHODS ........................................................................................................... 11 2.1 Location/Environment .................................................................................... 12 2.2 Field ................................................................................................................ 13 2.3 Informants ............................................................................................................ 13 2.4 Interviews ............................................................................................................. 14 3. BACKGROUND ................................................................................................... 16 3.1 Chinese Confucian impact ................................................................................... 16 3.2 Muslim traders ...................................................................................................... 16 3.3 French colonialism ............................................................................................... 17 3.4 Soviet influence .................................................................................................... 17 3.5 Wartime ................................................................................................................ 18 3.6 Post-war period .................................................................................................... 19 Summary .................................................................................................................... 20 4. HANOI-CITY IN TRANSITION ...................................................................... 21 4.1 History .................................................................................................................. 21 4.2 Housing ................................................................................................................ 24 4.3 Public space .......................................................................................................... 26 Summary .................................................................................................................... 31 5. THEORIZING A SOCIETAL CHANGE ......................................................... 32 5.1 Changing doxa? .................................................................................................... 34 5.2 Increasing uncertainty .......................................................................................... 35 5.3 Shopping, a response to uncertainty? ................................................................... 36 5.4 Middle class? ........................................................................................................ 38 5.5 Changing gender roles? ........................................................................................ 38 Summary .................................................................................................................... 41 6. STATE INFLUENCE ......................................................................................... 43 6.1 Trade and moral ................................................................................................... 44 5 6.2 Media .................................................................................................................... 45 Summary .................................................................................................................... 47 7. FOOD TODAY .................................................................................................... 48 7.1 Foreign influences and the attempt to create a unified food culture .................... 48 7.2 Defining street food and fast food? ...................................................................... 50 7.3 Importance of rice ................................................................................................ 50 7.4 Ingredients and cooking ....................................................................................... 52 7.5 Eating patterns ...................................................................................................... 53 7.6 Meanings of food: ................................................................................................ 54 7.6.1 Symbolization of Rice Cakes……………………………………………………………………55 7.6.2. Thuốc Bắc………………………………………………………………………………………………56 7.7 Food safety ........................................................................................................... 57 7.7.1. VietGAP…………………………………………………………………………………………………58 7.7.2 Safe vegetable-programme…………………………………………………………………….59 7.8 Supermarkets ........................................................................................................ 59 7.9 Vietnam’s role in the international food trade ..................................................... 60 Summary .................................................................................................................... 61 8. STREET FOOD TRADE .................................................................................... 62 8.1 Street trade and the Informal Economy ................................................................ 64 8.2 Ban of street vendors ............................................................................................ 67 Summary .................................................................................................................... 70 9. CASE STUDY: OBSERVATIONS OF STREET FOOD AND FAST FOOD PLACES ……………………………………………………………………………………71 9.1 Observations of street food places ....................................................................... 71 9.2 Fast food places .................................................................................................... 74 9.3“Local” Variations ................................................................................................. 79 9.4 Customers and location ........................................................................................ 79 9.5
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