"Local Non-Government Organizations in Vietnam:

Development, Civil Society and State-society Relations"

by Joseph Hannah

 

Table of Contents

 

 

 

 

Abstract

 

 

  Dedication
 

Acknowledgements

 

Introduction

 

 

 

Chapter 1: Approaching Civil Society in Vietnam

Recognizing Civil Society

Civil Society Theory and International Development

Civil Society, Development and Vietnamese NGOs

Conclusion

 

 

Chapter 2: Methodology

Introduction

Research Questions

Overview of My Research

Ethnographic Field Techniques

Research Constraints: An American Researcher, A Sensitive Topic

Scope of Research: What I Didn’t Do

Conclusion

 

 

Chapter 3: Theoretical Foundations

Introduction

History and Current Debates in Civil Society

Civil Society in Development

A New Approach – Civil Society Processes

Conclusion

 

 

Chapter 4: Vietnamese Encounters with Civil Society

Introduction

Vietnamese Historical Encounters with Civil Society

Vietnamese Translations of “Civil Society”

Vietnamese Writers on Civil Society

Conclusion: Traveling Theory, Vietnamese Voices

 

 

Chapter 5: Đổi Mới, VNGOs and Prospects for a Vietnamese Civil Society

Đổi Mới and the Renegotiation of State-society Relations

VNGOs, Civil Society and the Vietnamese State

Registering VNGOs: Finding the Spaces between Party Lines

Civil Society, Western Development Agencies and the Vietnamese State

Conclusion

 

 

Chapter 6: "Autonomous," “Ambiguous” or "Amphibious": The Cross-Colonization of State and Civil Society Organizations in Vietnam

Introduction

Autonomy and the Work of Civil Society

Empirical Lessons from Organizations in Vietnam

Conclusions

 

 

Chapter 7: “Non-Political Professionals”: Appropriate Civil Society Roles for VNGOs      

Introduction: Ms Ni

Professionalism

Vietnamese-led Development

When “Professional” Means “Non-Political”

Conclusion: Civil Society Functions in Vietnam: “Appropriate Activities”

 

 

Chapter 8: Concluding Remarks

Recap: Civil Society and Vietnamese NGOs

Contributions of this Dissertation

Future Study

Conclusion

 

 

References

 

 

 

Appendix: Bibliography of Civil Society and NGOs in Vietnam