A History of Childbirth in the 20th Century Vietnam

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16H06874
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Research Field: Area studies
• Research Institution: Kyoto University
• Principal Investigator: ODA Nara 京都大学, アジア・アフリカ地域研究研究科, 特任研究員 (70782655)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-08-26 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: ベトナム / 出産 / 伝統医療 / 医療化

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This research focuses on the process that how society or nation-state power have an impact on childbirth, a private sphere. During French colonial era, the colonial government involved in the childbirth in villages by educating the ‘local midwives’ about modern western medicine. However, after independence, the government supported to give birth in maternity hospitals and educated ‘midwives’in a divided Vietnam. At the same time, elder mothers or female relatives transmitted customs caring the mothers or the expectant mothers after delivery. Yet, at least in the cities, wars and the birth control policy made them rather difficult to inherit such knowledges. ‘Childbirth’ is the very sphere in which modernity and traditional value mingle and co-exist.

Free Research Field

地域研究