Attitudes toward marriage in northern Vietnam: what qualitative data reveal about variations across gender, generation, and geography.

Set in Southeast Asia in a context where marriage postponement and avoidance have made headlines in both academic and popular press outlets, this research was designed to elicit attitudes about the value of marriage and marriage alternatives among rural and urban Vietnamese men and women. The data come from 16 focus group interviews, eight of which were conducted in Hanoi and eight of which took place in rural communities in surrounding districts. The research identifies themes from each set of interviews and draws comparisons according to gender, generation, and rural or urban residence. There is widespread agreement across groups that marriage remains extremely important in Vietnam. Attitudes regarding the acceptability of non-marital cohabitation are much more mixed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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