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