Question on 'post-socialist studies'

From: Judith Henchy <judithh@u.washington.edu>

Date: May 5, 2006 10:00 AM

Subject: [Vsg] Fw: Question on 'post-socialist studies'

I am forwarding this request to the list. I think that the responses would

be of interest to us all, so please post your comments to VSG, but please

remember to copy Patrice (PL255@cam.ac.uk), who is not a member of the list.

Thanks

Judith Henchy

List Administrator

----- Original Message -----

From: "Patrice Ladwig" <PL255@cam.ac.uk>

To: <judithh@u.washington.edu>

Sent: Friday, May 05, 2006 6:31 AM

Subject: Vietnam Disc. Group question

------------------------------

from: Patrice Ladwig <PL255[at]cam.ac.uk>

Subj: Vietnam/Laos: post/late/reformed socialism?

date: 5.5.2006

Dear all,

I am currently writing-up a PhD in anthropology on Buddhism in Laos with a

focus on the period after 1975. I intend to include a chapter on what in

anthropology has been described as 'post-socialist studies', but which is

largely based on the ethnography from the ex-soviet states. Despite the

fact that many authors are using these concepts now, I find the application

for the Lao case (and perhaps the Vietnamese?) a bit problematic. Terms

that have also been applied are 'late socialism' (based on

Habermas/Jameson's 'late capitalism') or 'reformed socialism'.

As most participants in this list might know, the Lao government has often

been following the advice of its Vietnamese 'older brother' and I want to

base the discussion on materials from both countries with a focus on

(majority) religions and the politics of culture.

I would very much appreciate any hint to references/ideas/thoughts that

involve a a definition/legitimation of the use of these terms for the

Vietnamese case.

Moreover, in case anyone has material about the Vietnamese Buddhist clery's

involvement in the revolutionary movement and/or its current connection to

the state, I would also be grateful.

Thanks very much!

Best wishes

Patrice

From: Jean Michaud <michaudjean@yahoo.com>

Date: May 5, 2006 10:35 AM

Subject: Re: [Vsg] Fw: Question on 'post-socialist studies'

Dear Patricia,

It might be useful to bear in mind that there is uncertainty in

anthropologicval circles as to what 'post-socialist' means. The body of

litterature you are referring to, using that notion in the sense of

'what happens in a communist country that has opened up to market

economy without drastically changing its political regime', is indeed

based primarely on eastern European case studies (plus China for some

authors), and research based on places such as Vietnam, Laos, or Cuba

is only slowly catching up.

However, for a great many colleagues, 'post-socialist' refers primarily

to the body of social theory produced by left-leaning thinkers who now

have to re-organise their reflection in a world where the great

communist experiments have not deliver their promises. I would

summarise that trend as the one promoted by those interested in 'what

happens to socialist thinking when practical socialism has failed' (but

what about China?...) Such vision has been popularised, among others,

by Nancy Fraser's "Justice interruptus. Critical Reflections on the

'postsocialist' condition" (Routledge 1997), as well as several authors

associated with the New Left and the New School for Social Research.

Fraser calls it "the post-1989 state of the Left." (p.1)

Hope this helps.

Jean Michaud

From: Thomas Sikor <thomas.sikor@rz.hu-berlin.de>

Date: May 12, 2006 8:46 AM

Subject: [Vsg] postsocialist studies

Dear Patrice,

let me send a brief reply to your inquiry about postsocialist

studies. As you note, much of the literature on postsocialism deals

with Europe and Central Asia. Few people have explored the theme in

East Asia, for various reasons. The term is somewhat problematic in

East Asia, as you observe. At the same time, I believe that it gives

us a very useful lens to look at the transformations we have observed

in China, Vietnam and probabely also Laos for the past two decades or

so. In addition, I find cross-regional comparisons very insightful

as they help people look beyond the rim of their own plates.

You may want to have a look at the special issue I edited together

with Janet Sturgeon for the journal Conservation and Society. The

issue includes ethnographies of rural change from Central and Eastern

Europe as well as China and Vietnam. The introduction also pays

brief attention to the question of how applicable the term

'postsocialist' is for East Asia. You can find the issue at

http://www.conservationandsociety.org/sivol-2-1.html. I believe that

all articles can be downloaded from the site.

The book on Postsocialism edited by Chris Hann in 2002 begins with a

very insightful debate about the term 'postsocialism', including

contributions by Chris Hann, Caroline Humphrey, and Katherine

Verdery. The book furthermore contains two chapters with empirical

analyses from China next to a series of contributions from Central

and Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Another book with an

interesting cross-regional comparison is Andrew Walder's book on 'The

Waning of the Communist State' from 1995.

Best regards,

Thomas

From: Nguyen Hoang Giang <nghgiang2005@yahoo.com>

Date: May 12, 2006 5:57 PM

Subject: Re: [Vsg] postsocialist studies

Dear Patrice,

I am working with Professor Walder on the topic of Income Inequality in Vietnam so if you want I can forward your email to him or discuss with him about your question. I am not sure if he can help you in the case of Vietnam or Lao because he does not know about Vietnam as much as VSGers but he is a big name in postsocialism studies so I hope that he can somehow help you.

Best regards,

Giang Hoang Nguyen

From: Elizabeth St.George <elizabethstgeorge@homemail.com.au>

Date: May 19, 2006 9:50 PM

Subject: RE: [Vsg] postsocialist studies

Hi Patrice,

I have also been very interested in the idea of post-communist/socialist

studies and what they mean for Vietnam and Laos. I am not aware of what

has been going on in the anthropological field, but there are definite

similarities in politics and economics.

Here is a brief summary of some key similarities that I have found while

working on the politics of education in Vietnam:

'In line with postcommunist transitions elsewhere, the process of change

in Vietnam has followed a marked path of decentralisation and opening

up, followed by a process of rationalisation and movement towards the

rule of law. This process required a fundamental re-assessment of the

belief systems inculcated under the socialist regime, including

attitudes towards money, the rule of law, Marxism-Leninism, and the

inevitability of historical progress... Vietnamese higher education

policy underwent a transformation from teleological rationalisation

based on Marxist-Leninist doctrine, to a legal-rational framework.'

I have found, Leslie Holmes, Postcommunism - An Introduction (1997) to

be extremely useful, but again, in the area of politics.

Hope this is helpful. I have also cc'd this e-mail to Warren Mayes, who

is working in anthropology, studying post-1975 Laos - in case you

haven't already come across him.

Elizabeth

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