School Bullying and Power Relations in Vietnam Paul Horton Linköping Studies in Arts and Science No. 541 Department of Thematic Studies – Child Studies Linköping University Linköping 2011 Linköping Studies in Arts and Science x No. 541 At the Faculty of Arts and Science at Linköping University, research and doctoral studies are carried out within broad problem areas. Research is organized in interdisciplinary research environments and doctoral studies mainly in graduate schools. Jointly, they publish the series Linköping Studies in Arts and Science. This thesis comes from the Department of Thematic Studies – Child Studies. Distributed by: Department of Thematic Studies – Child Studies Linköping University 581 83 Linköping Paul Horton School Bullying and Power Relations in Vietnam Edition 1:1 ISBN 978‐91‐7393‐081‐9 ISSN 0282‐9800 © Paul Horton Department of Thematic Studies – Child Studies 2011 Cover Design: Paul Horton Print: LIU‐Tryck, Linköping 2011 Table of Contents ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................................... 5 SKETCH OF VIETNAM............................................................................................... 9 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................ 11 RESEARCHING SCHOOL BULLYING AND POWER RELATIONS IN VIETNAM .................. 13 THE RESEARCH SETTING ............................................................................................ 18 OUTLINE ..................................................................................................................... 22 RESEARCHING SCHOOL BULLYING AND POWER RELATIONS IN VIETNAM..................................................................................................................... 25 CONDUCTING AN ETHNOGRAPHY OF SCHOOL BULLYING AND POWER RELATIONS .... 28 STUDENT QUESTIONNAIRES ........................................................................................ 32 PARTICIPANT OBSERVATIONS ..................................................................................... 33 STUDENT INTERVIEWS ................................................................................................ 37 STAFF INTERVIEWS ..................................................................................................... 39 ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS......................................................................................... 40 INTERPRETATION ........................................................................................................ 43 ISSUES OF TEXTUALISATION ....................................................................................... 44 THEORISING SCHOOL BULLYING AND POWER RELATIONS IN VIETNAM..................................................................................................................... 49 CONTEXTUALISING SCHOOL BULLYING...................................................................... 49 SCHOOL BULLYING AND AGGRESSIVE INTENTIONALITY ............................................ 51 SCHOOL BULLYING AND POWER RELATIONS.............................................................. 54 Power and Differentiation..................................................................................... 55 Power and Resistance ........................................................................................... 58 Intentions and Effects............................................................................................ 60 SCHOOL BULLYING AND DISCIPLINARY POWER ......................................................... 62 Techniques of Surveillance ................................................................................... 63 Techniques of Control........................................................................................... 66 Normalising Techniques........................................................................................ 67 1 SCHOOL BULLYING AND TEACHER-STUDENT OPPOSITION ......................................... 71 SCHOOL BULLYING AND SILENCING ........................................................................... 72 SCHOOL BULLYING IN VIETNAM ................................................................................ 73 Defining Vietnamese School Bullying (bat nat) .................................................... 73 The Prevalence of Bullying in Du Hang and Pho Chieu Schools......................... 75 DISCIPLINARY POWER AND SCHOOLING IN VIETNAM.............................. 81 SCHOOLING AND MORALITY....................................................................................... 81 TEACHERS AND AUTHORITY ....................................................................................... 89 TECHNIQUES OF SURVEILLANCE ................................................................................. 91 TECHNIQUES OF CONTROL .......................................................................................... 97 NORMALISATION....................................................................................................... 105 PUNISHMENT............................................................................................................. 107 DISCIPLINARY POWER, RESISTANCE, AND BULLYING............................................... 109 SCHOOL BULLYING AND DISCIPLINARY POWER....................................... 113 MOVING BEYOND INDIVIDUAL TYPOLOGIES ............................................................. 114 DISCIPLINARY POWER AND BULLYING STRATEGIES ................................................. 116 ABSENTEEISM ........................................................................................................... 117 SHOPPING AT THE SCHOOL CANTEEN........................................................................ 119 REMOVAL ACTIVITIES .............................................................................................. 123 TEACHER-DESIGNATED SEATING .............................................................................. 126 SEAT SWAPPING........................................................................................................ 130 SHARING ................................................................................................................... 132 NOTE PASSING .......................................................................................................... 135 CLASS MONITORS ..................................................................................................... 141 SCHOOL BULLYING AND DISCIPLINARY POWER ....................................................... 143 SCHOOL BULLYING AND TEACHER-STUDENT OPPOSITION.................. 145 CONSIDERING THE ROLE OF TEACHERS .................................................................... 146 TEACHER AUTHORITY............................................................................................... 148 MAINTAINING ORDER ............................................................................................... 153 SARCASM AND DERISION .......................................................................................... 157 GRADE MANIPULATION ............................................................................................ 159 2 INCONSISTENT PUNISHMENT..................................................................................... 160 TEACHER-STUDENT BULLYING................................................................................. 163 SCHOOL BULLYING AND TEACHER-STUDENT OPPOSITION ....................................... 169 SCHOOL BULLYING AND SILENCING.............................................................. 173 THE SILENCING OF INDIVIDUALS .............................................................................. 174 AUTHORITATIVE SILENCE ......................................................................................... 176 TELLING ABOUT BULLYING ...................................................................................... 179 TELLING THE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL ............................................................................. 182 TELLING A TEACHER................................................................................................. 183 ‘Barn Owls’ and Squealing................................................................................. 185 TELLING A CLASS MONITOR ..................................................................................... 190 TELLING A FAMILY MEMBER.................................................................................... 191 SCHOOL BULLYING AND THE STUDENT CODE OF SILENCE ....................................... 193 SILENCING AND STUDENT SUICIDES ......................................................................... 195 SCHOOL BULLYING AND SILENCING ......................................................................... 200 CONCLUSIONS......................................................................................................... 203 UNDERSTANDING VIETNAMESE SCHOOL BULLYING AND POWER RELATIONS.......... 204 SCHOOL BULLYING AND SCHOOLING........................................................................ 206 SCHOOL BULLYING AND TEACHER-STUDENT RELATIONS ........................................ 209 SCHOOL BULLYING AND SILENCING ......................................................................... 210 IMPLICATIONS FOR ANTI-BULLYING INITIATIVES...................................................... 212 ILLUSTRATIONS