Politeness

From: Grace Chew <gclchew@yahoo.co.uk>

Reply-To: Vietnam Studies Group <vsg@u.washington.edu>

To: vsg@u.washington.edu

Date: Tue, Feb 26, 2008 at 8:00 PM

Dear List:

I am soon to begin writing on the historical roots of

Vietnamese politeness (social etiquette, concept of

face, showing respect, etc). Should you have come

across sources/fables/episodes etc. relating to the

various aspects of politeness, I'd be very glad to

hear about them.

Any interesting encounters/comparisons that reflect

politeness or impoliteness, especially from those who

have experienced life before Liberation are welcomed

as well.

Thank you all, as always, for your generosity.

Best wishes,

Grace

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From: Maxner, Steve <steve.maxner@ttu.edu>

Reply-To: Vietnam Studies Group <vsg@u.washington.edu>

To: Vietnam Studies Group <vsg@u.washington.edu>

Date: Wed, Feb 27, 2008 at 5:13 AM

Dear Grace:

We do have some materials that discuss issues of etiquette and politeness in our collections. There are 150 items that contain the keyword "etiquette" when used as a simple keyword. One I thought particularly interesting based on the title is listed below.

If you restrict your search for “etiquette” further by using a second keyword "fable," there are only 6 items. If you search for "politeness" there are also 150 documents. Combine it with "fable" and there are 9 documents. “Save face” returns 260 items while “saving face” returns 85 - but nothing comes back when combined with “fable”. Also, be sue to use the quotes for those last two about “face” or you will get a lot more hits based on proximity searching.

Good luck and happy hunting!

Steve

Item Number: 0260103013

Document Title: Understanding the Vietnamese: Personal Response Project Resource Materials

Language/Translation: English

Document Pages: 128

Date: No Date

Collection: Jackson Bosley Collection

Media Type: Document (.pdf)

Physical Location: Box #: 01, Folder #: 03; Collection Location(s)

Citation: Understanding the Vietnamese: Personal Response Project Resource Materials, No Date, Folder 03, Box 01, Jackson Bosley Collection, The Vietnam Archive, Texas Tech University.

Stephen Maxner, Ph.D.

Director

The Vietnam Center

The Vietnam Archive, Texas Tech University

Special Collections Library Room 108

15th and Detroit

Lubbock, TX 79409-1041

Phone: 806-742-9010

Fax: 806-742-0496

Email: steve.maxner@ttu.edu

Website: www.vietnam.ttu.edu

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From: ryan nelson <sociolgst@yahoo.com>

Reply-To: Vietnam Studies Group <vsg@u.washington.edu>

To: Vietnam Studies Group <vsg@u.washington.edu>

Date: Wed, Feb 27, 2008 at 5:22 AM

Besides, I imagine, the Texas Tech’s Viet Nam archive, a wealth of data waits to be collected via Google’s book search. I found a number of documents pertaining to the early to mid 19th century in S.E.A. A great deal of lit. has been made available from the University of Michigan (thank you Blue), and are downloadable. Just go to Google, click on the “more” tab at the top left of the screen, scroll down to the “Books” option, type in any number of key words (i.e. Cochin China, Annam, French, British, native, (social) etiquette, polite(ness), etc.), hit “Enter,” (most important) there is text that reads “Showing: All books,” click on the scroll option thingy to the right of “All books” and select “Full view,” hit “Enter.” You then will be able to search and collect, hopefully, great volumes of literature by different explorers and other such figures.

I went to liberty of tracking down just a taste of material of relation to your request. I’m sure much more awaits to be found. If you want early to mid 19th century documents this is your academic playground. If able to read French, try typing relevant French words into the search engine.

Also, when you are viewing a document, in the right column there's a “Search in this book” feature, use it by typing in further key words. It will hone your search of the book. It’s a very helpful feature.

For all researchers, The “Full view” and “Limited preview” options allow individuals to quickly track down scholarly and non-scholarly sources to a great deal of history. Yesterday, I found a range of 19th century literature that stresses or mentions various reasons for French presence in Annam. Fascinating stuff.

Here’s some lit. related to etiquette.

Day, Francis. The Land of the Permauls, Or, Cochin, Its Past and Its Present. 1863. Madras. Gantz Bros., at the Adelphi Press. p. 390+

<http://books.google.com/books?id=awsIAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA374&dq=cochin+etiquette&as_brr=1#PPA390,M1>

The Asiatic Journal and Monthly Miscellany. 1828. Wm. H. Allen & Co. [etc.]. p. 325.

<http://books.google.com/books?id=if2EmJupw20C&pg=PA325&dq=cochin+etiquette+respect&as_brr=1#PPA325,M1>

Peace in Viet Nam

Ryan Nelson

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From: Tuan Hoang <thoang1@nd.edu>

Reply-To: Vietnam Studies Group <vsg@u.washington.edu>

To: Vietnam Studies Group <vsg@u.washington.edu>

Date: Wed, Feb 27, 2008 at 9:19 AM

For the modern era, an important source is Nguoi Lich Su by Pham Cao Tung. Published in 1951, it was

reprinted many times in the 1950s and 1960s, sometimes with small revisions. The full title is telling of

the shifting landscape of mid-century middle-class social behavior: Người Lịch Sự: Phép Xã Giao và Ăn Mặc theo đời sống mới (có phần phụ về phép lịch sự Tây).

~Tuan Hoang

--

Tuan Hoang

PhD Candidate

Department of History

University of Notre Dame

219 O'Shaughnessy Hall

Notre Dame, IN 46556

thoang1@nd.edu

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Grace Chew <gclchew@yahoo.co.uk>

date Mar 2, 2008 9:16 PM

subject [Vsg] Phep Lich Su Viet Nam: Resources

Dear Ryan, Steve, Tuan and Philip:

Mmm...interesting list of publications and website

links.

I am very impressed by the Vietnam Center's Archive of

Texas Tech Uni., except for the difficulty in

accessing the collection. Anyway I will try again.

Thanks.

Philip: I appreciate your interesting insight.

Certainly, it's important to examine Ngo Dinh Diem's

era and the religions. I've reserved your book at our

library.

Tuan: I hope I'll be able to buy that title you

recommended in the book shop along Trang Tien St (Ha

Noi) when I go there or, do you know of a better place

to get it?

Gratitude,

Grace

Grace Chew <gclchew@yahoo.co.uk>

date Mar 11, 2008 7:01 PM

subject Re: [Vsg] French code of politeness/civic behavior: Clarification

Dear List:

I think I'd better clarify my earlier posting on this

subject. I am particularly interested in the

Vietnamese language publications during /after the

colonization from experts of that era.

Any episodes that you think I shouldn't miss will be

worth knowing as well. I don't want to miss any of

these.

Thank you in advance,

Grace

Subject: [Vsg] French code of politeness/civic behavior

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From: Grace Chew <gclchew@yahoo.co.uk>

Reply-To: Vietnam Studies Group <vsg@u.washington.edu>

To: Vietnam Studies Group <vsg@u.washington.edu>

Date: Tue, Mar 11, 2008 at 8:51 AM

Salut List!

I have had fun browsing through the materials in the

online archive. Now I am wondering if the French had

their code of politeness /civic behaviour to teach to

the Vietnamese? If so, how were they taught and where?

On the reverse, what French behaviors/manners did the

Vietnamese find uncouth, disgusting,or impolite?

Opinions, old folks' sayings,historical episodes or

any leads to references will be much appreciated.

Amities,

Grace

Best wishes,

Grace

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From: Shawn McHale <mchale@gwu.edu>

Reply-To: Vietnam Studies Group <vsg@u.washington.edu>

To: Vietnam Studies Group <vsg@u.washington.edu>

Date: Tue, Mar 11, 2008 at 6:49 PM

Grace,

Andrée Viollis, in Indochine S.O.S., has a variety of comments on French impoliteness. To see this and some other examples, you can look at my Print and Power, pp. 43-44. not in the book, but something I came across more recently (I'll dig to find it) is how French in Saigon, after the events of August 1945, stopped using the term "boy" to refer to their male servants.

Phan Van Hum, in Ngoi Tu Kham Lon, has some witty things to say about French-Vietnamese interactions. ( A street should be named after the guy -- to think that one of the great minds of the South pre-1945 is all but forgotten! But I digress . . )

Your query, of course, raises the interesting question of how French codes of etiquette were reshaped in the colonial encounter.

Shawn

Shawn McHale

Associate Professor of History and International Affairs

George Washington University

Washington, DC 20052 USA

(on leave, 2007-08, at Vietnam National University --

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam)

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From: Grace Chew <gclchew@yahoo.co.uk>

Reply-To: Vietnam Studies Group <vsg@u.washington.edu>

To: Vietnam Studies Group <vsg@u.washington.edu>

Date: Tue, Mar 11, 2008 at 7:31 PM

Dear Shawn,

Thank you for promptness.

I came across your title when I was doing the search

with inputs like 'politeness' and 'printed

materials'... With those specific pages that you

pointed out, I am glad about the time economy that I

will enjoy. That Phan Van Hum book sounds like another

entertaining resource!

Happiness! Merci,

Grace

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From: Grace Chew <gclchew@yahoo.co.uk>

Reply-To: Vietnam Studies Group <vsg@u.washington.edu>

To: Vietnam Studies Group <vsg@u.washington.edu>

Date: Wed, Mar 12, 2008 at 1:00 AM

Dear Shawn,

Is this the book you are referring to?

Indochine S.O.S. /

Ardenne de Tizac, Andreìe Françoise Caroline d',

1878-

1935

Indochine S.O.S. /

Ardenne de Tizac, Andreìe Françoise Caroline d',

1878-

1949

Grace

Best wishes,

Grace

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