Re: Feminism co' a'p du.ng -du+o+c o+? Vie^.t Nam ?

[Truong Trong Hoang <g3937464@mahidol.ac.th>]

Hi everybody,

Last time I posted an essay about the inequality between men and women in
vietnamese society and received an impressive posting from My Huyen. At the
same time all of us also read some postings about Japanese women who have
privilege (-du+o+.c) to be a housewife who do nothing but serving husband and
children (in Vietnam also mother-in-law and other inlaws). Is it really a
privilege ? Men usually say they are responsible for hard work in public area,
so they have right to be served by wives and also have right to play with some
girls as entertainment. Is it really a right to do so ? Actually that comes
from the patrilineal culture where men hold in their hands the power, the
power of setting up social norms, the power of imposing laws that favor their
status. Men, including me, living and being soaked in such a cultural
environment think that it is something natural, unquestionable. And women
also, really tied by the praise di.u da`ng, -da?m -dang, nha^~n nhu.c. I say
so not with the meaning that women have to be hu`ng ho^?, vu.ng ve^` or nga.i
cu+c kho^? but just want to mean that for every norms and values about gender
we have to be awake in evaluating and question why they came to be in
existence.

Hope that other friends in VNSA list offer some other ideas on this topic.

Cheers

Tru+o+ng Tro.ng Hoa`ng