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Vietnam Japan University

Final Religion, Culture, and Society course’s Report

Lại Thành Đạt

VJU2020 - Religion, Culture, and Society

Professor Yuko Shimazaki, Professor Chu Xuân Giao and Professor Đặng Thị Việt Phương

17 July 2023
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Lại Thành Đạt

Professor Yuko Shimazaki, Professor Chu Xuân Giao and Professor Đặng Thị Việt Phương

VJU2020 - Religion, Culture, and Society

17 July 2023

Confucianism's norms on women, and girls through gender codes,

express the inequality in gender in Vietnamese society

Since the renewal of the economy in 1986, Vietnam changed from subsidy economics

to a market economy, creating many benefits to the society's well-being. However, problems

about gender equity between Vietnamese women and men remain; Confucianism's remnants

still have a big part in traditional norms, especially gender equity among girls and women

through gender norms. This essay will represent Confucianism's norms on women and girls

through gender codes, express the inequality in gender in Vietnamese society, and

recommend some solutions for both men and women to overcome gender codes.

Gender equity status in Vietnam

Most women in Vietnam did not have a voice in the family. China used to have

control of Vietnam for over one thousand years (111 BCE - 938 CE); Confucianism's

influence on Vietnamese culture affected people's thinking. It remains in social hierarchy,

order, and family relationships (Vu et al. 480). Confucianism is well-known for praising

men's power in family and society, while women are weak and do not have a voice in family

matters and must obey men. According to Batista on the Schwarzman Scholars website,

"Confucianism is often associated with oppressing women, whether subjugating them to their

fathers during childhood, husbands during marriage, or sons during widowhood. Oppressive

acts associated with Confucian principles include foot binding, concubinage, and widow

suicide." Most countries that have a Confucian culture (e.g. China, Vietnam, Korea, Japan,

Singapore) have lower gender equality than Western countries by evaluating on GAI(Gender
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Attitude Index) score, which Vietnam has a score of 50% of individual per country and Spain,

Sweden, and Poland scores are respectively 80, 79 and 59(Grosse 263). For example, in an

interview in 2006, a woman expressed that women should not be the decision maker in the

family. According to her, she should ask for her husband in all family matters and avoid

challenging the traditional family hierarchy; moreover, she said that high positions and power

are not for women and that an independent woman is not a real woman (Schuler, Sidney Ruth

et al. 389). Of this, women in Vietnam are highly affected by Confucianism's mindset, which

was one of the reasons for gender inequality in Vietnam. In this issue, gender codes

significantly affect how people, especially women, perceive their identity.

Definition of gender codes

SimplySciology website states, "Gender coding is used when assigning specific traits

or behaviors primarily or exclusively to certain genders. Gender codes are often presented by

words and phrases associated with a particular gender, specifically male or female";

furthermore, people often perceive girls' or women's traits as faithful, cooperative,

understanding, and fostering (Guy-Evans). Moreover, traits which are attached to Vietnamese

women are somewhat similar.

Gender codes on women as a mother

Gender norms are still a problem for women in the mother role. In an article that

researched the impact of "The Three Criteria: Studying Actively, Working Creatively and

Raising children well and Building a happy family" of the Vietnam Woman Union authored

by Schuler and partners, the research figured out one of the lying themes about this criteria,

although the Three Criteria Campain was about promoting education for women, political

advancement and economic improvement but still has underlying defect about gender

equality for women. Women's roles were sacrifiers, givers, and mediators, which is embedded

in the criteria; the mother must be responsible for her children's grades which are not in their
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control, maintain harmony and sacrifice for the family, do most of the housework, and

maintain the hierarchy in the family. (qtd. in Schuler, Sidney Ruth, et al. 387). Gender roles

heavily stressed women as mothers, who were encouraged to make economics and take care

of family simultaneously. Moreover, gender codes appear not only in family life but also in

other forms.

The advent of gender codes in textbooks

Gender socialization appears in Vietnam English textbooks. In a recent paper

published on July 8th, 2021, the study found that textbooks in Vietnam are still affected by

patriarchal Confucian values (Vu et al. 477). The finding from this paper shows that The

present of occupational roles for men in the textbook with a doctorate in Natural Science and

Technology and women's jobs mostly related to social science or jobs that do not require a

higher educational degree contribute to the belief that women territory related to "soft"

disciplines and exhibit the common belief in Vietnamese society that women should not

pursue post-graduate education (Vu et al. 485). Overall, this paper shows that most women

are less visible and have girly and easy hobbies compared to boys, the father's role in

housework did not appear, as the author concludes (Vu et al. 493). These gender biases prove

that Confucian values on women are not just in the family sphere but also have positions in

education materials. This could contribute to the conscious or unconscious bias about the

gender of students who learn from these textbooks, giving them an unequal mindset about

gender. However, there are also solutions for these problems for women to overcome these

gender norms.

Solutions to overcome gender codes

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Express authentic selves

One way to overcome gender norms is to express authentic selves without allowing

others to define us based on gender and experience. Women and girls should look inside their

own, explore their interests, talents, and strength and celebrate them whether they align with

traditional gender norms or not. True freedom from societal expectation is embracing the

value of every individual. Moreover, people should also respect the diversity of gender.

Respect to the diversity of gender

It is vital to uphold diversity and acknowledge the various gender identities. Men

must stop judging how a girl should be or how a man should depend on their conscious bias.

Everyone should be treated with empathy and respect. The goal should be establishing a

community where women and girls feel secure and supported, without judgment on gender or

sexual orientation. Furthermore, we also need robust solutions not only from individuals but

also from the government.

Solutions for governments to solve gender norms problem

Governments can use many methods to combat gender codes and promote equality.

Firstly, governments can promote gender equality by integrating gender equality into

textbooks for elementary students, including non-discriminatory content and diversity of

gender alignment with characters in the textbooks. Secondly, enacting and enforcing laws that

protect people from offenses based on gender. Finally, governments can launch campaigns to

challenge harmful gender norms and stereotypes. These campaigns can use various media,

such as television, and community events, to educate the public and promote understanding

for everyone about gender norms about women and girls.

Conclusion
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To conclude, this essay offers essential insights and information on the Confucian’s

effect on women also express the inequality in gender in Vietnamese society, and recommend

some solutions for both men and women to overcome gender codes. Though gender codes on

women and girls are still a long-term problem and can not be solved in one day, the essay has

demonstrated some suggestive solutions for both individuals and the government to act

together.
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Works Cited

Vu, Mai Trang and Thi Thanh Thuy Pham. “Still in the shadow of Confucianism? Gender

bias in contemporary English textbooks in Vietnam.” Pedagogy, Culture & Society 31

(2021): 477 - 497.

Batista, Juliana. “The Confucianism-Feminism Conflict: Why a New Understanding Is

Necessary - Schwarzman Scholars.” Schwarzman Scholars, 29 Aug. 2017,

https://www.schwarzmanscholars.org/events-and-news/confucianism-feminism-confli

ct-new-understanding-necessary/. Accessed 10 July 2023.

Grosse, Ingrid, et al. "Gender Values In Vietnam—between Confucianism, Communism, and

Modernization". AJP, vol. 3, no. 2, 2015, p. 253-272.

https://doi.org/10.18588/201511.000045

Schuler, Sidney Ruth et al. “Constructions of gender in Vietnam: In pursuit of the ‘Three

Criteria’.” Culture, Health & Sexuality 8 (2006): 383 - 394.

Lee, Jackie F. “In the Pursuit of a Gender-Equal Society: Do Japanese EFL Textbooks Play a

Role?” Journal of Gender Studies, vol. 28, no. 2, 2018, pp. 204–217,

https://doi.org/10.1080/09589236.2018.1423956.

Guy-Evans, Olivia. “Gender Codes: Masculine and Feminine.” Simply Sociology, 26 Feb.

2023, simplysociology.com/gender-codes.html. Accessed 16 July 2023.