The Value of Community Cohesion Among Vietnamese Students in Era of Urbanisation and Globalisation

The concept of community cohesion as applied in social research is about more than tackling social exclusion and also involves sustaining relationships of trust and neighbourly interaction. Community cohesion is a function of connections and relations maintained between individuals, groups and associations. It can be fostered through measures that build feelings of trust, safety and belonging between people and can form a basis for shared values and norms of behaviour. This concept originates from Emile Durkheim, who identified the interdependence between members of a social group who share solidarity, loyalties and responsibilities. In Vietnam, various idioms and proverbs about social solidarity and social cohesion express the significant role of community in the lives of individuals as well as an individual’s responsibilities towards the community. Recent public debates suggest that social cohesion is changing or fraying, especially among youth, owing to the social, economic and cultural impacts of globalisation and urbanisation. However, there is lack of research focusing on community cohesion among young people in general and students in particular in the Vietnamese context. This paper reports on a research project on student life conducted in twelve Hanoi universities, and with 484 research participants, utilizing surveys, interviews and focus groups. This paper aims to identify the current situation and trends in student values with regards to community, particularly their views on community participation, and their responsibilities to communities, friends and society in general. The findings suggest that in spite of significant changes associated with urban life and globalisation, students still positively value community cohesion and engage in practices that maintain solidarity, trust and interdependencies with a range of consociates.