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VIETNAM ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES GRADUATE ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES AN THU TRA ETHNIC CULTURAL IDENTITY THROUGH PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES AT THE VIETNAM MUSEUM OF ETHNOLOGY Major Cultural Studies Code[.]
VIETNAM ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES GRADUATE ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES AN THU TRA ETHNIC CULTURAL IDENTITY THROUGH PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES AT THE VIETNAM MUSEUM OF ETHNOLOGY Major: Cultural Studies Code: 9.22.90.40 SUMMARY OF THE DOCTORAL DISSERTATION OF CULTURAL SCIENCE Hanoi, 2023 Work was completed at: GRADUATE ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES Supervisor: Prof Dr Le Hong Ly Examiner 1: Assoc Prof Dr Tran Thi An Examiner 2: Assoc Prof Dr Tran Duc Ngon Examiner 3: Prof Dr Bui Quang Thanh This doctoral dissertation will be defended at the Dissertation Defense Committee at Graduate Academy of Social Sciences, 477 Nguyen Trai, Thanh Xuan, Hanoi At , on date Month 2023 This doctoral dissertation can be found at: National Library of Vietnam The Library of the Academy of Social Sciences INTRODUCTION Rationale In 1986, the Doi Moi decision of our Party was considered an important turning point in the construction of the country and the opening up of international integration This opens up the need to explore, learn and exchange between diverse cultures around the world Therefore, the issue of preserving and promoting national cultural identity is deeply concerned and placed in an important position In this context, Vietnam identifies traditional cultural values that not only affirm the sustainability and development of each ethnic group but also reflect its identity The exhibitions and performances in the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology (VME) are a complicated process with the participation and negotiation of many parties Every performance is a process of construction, from the idea, to the realization, from the direction, the political will to the implementation of the curators, then to the consultation of the community, of the experts The national identity at the museum is created in a negotiation process, which respects the community's voice The topic of identity construction has been interested and explored by many researchers from the interdisciplinary humanities and social sciences such as in the field of tourism research, culture, folklore, ethnology, art studies, cultural heritage However, the issue of research to create cultural identity in museum activities, exhibitions, and performances at museums in general and the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology has not received much attention Therefore, the dissertation chooses to study "Ethnic cultural identity through performance activities at the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology" The dissertation will explore the role of the Museum in constructing ethnic cultural identity through exhibitions, re-enactments, and cultural performances in general Research objectives and contents: 2.1 Research objectives The dissertation studies the performance activities at the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology to show that the construction of ethnic identity is a complex process through different lenses, from the negotiation of the participants to the politics of the museum 2.2 Research contents - Overview of research issues on cultural identity, ethnic cultural identity and identity construction - Provide theoretical academic perspectives on identity, on the politics of identity, on the process of identity negotiation between stakeholders - Analyze the process of formation and development of the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology from the policy of building museums, exhibition spaces, performance activities to learning experiences in a major museum in the world, applying community approaches and negotiation - Analyze cultural performance activities at the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology through specific cases of cultural display of the Bana, Thai and Kinh ethnic groups - Describe and identify cultural performance activities of the Bana, Thai and Kinh ethnic groups at the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology since its establishment - Commenting on the process of constructing identity at the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology through the process of selecting, negotiating, constructing meaning and interpretation of cultural reconstruction from exhibition activities - The dissertation clarifies the process of building displays, performances, and cultural representations of ethnic groups that show the museum's mission and politics along with social negotiation and criticism Objects and Scope of study 3.1 Objects of the study The object of the study is the performance activities of the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology revolving around the issues of context, views and methods, negotiation in choosing the type and content of the presentation to explain the process of constructing ethnic cultural identity 3.2.Scopes of the study: Spatial scope: Fieldwork to collect data and negotiate with the community in some localities where the three ethnic groups of Bana, Thai and Kinh live such as Son La, Kon Tum, Bac Ninh, Bac Giang, Thai Binh, Hanoi; Conducted a study at the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology in the exhibition spaces in the Trong Dong building and Architectural Garden Time scope: Of course, the exhibition activities of the three ethnic groups (Bana, Thai, Kinh) since 1997, that is, since the Museum was inaugurated until now Research methodology of the dissertation The dissertation uses: Ethnographic field methods; Methods of synthesizing and analyzing secondary documents; Qualitative research methods; Participatory observation methods; Expert interviews and focus group discussions; Interdisciplinary research approaches: Ethnography, anthropology, sociology, culture 5 Research questions and research hypotheses 5.1 Research questions Implementing this topic, the dissertation offers a number of research questions as follows: - In the process of forming and developing the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology, how did the concepts and approaches expressing ethnic cultural identity take place? - What processes have the cultural performances at the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology undergone between the Museum, the community and the participants? - How does Vietnam create the identity and re-create the cultures of ethnic groups that represent the mission and politics of the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology? 5.2 Research Hypotheses The dissertation's research is that the performance at the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology is not simply a way of displaying ethnic culture to visitors, but a complex process, both negotiation and political, concessions between the participants and social feedback New scientific contribution of the dissertation - The analysis and interpretation of specific performance activities at the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology will contribute to the research on the issue of constructing ethnic cultural identity The dissertation also contributes to academic debate on the study of the politics of the construction of ethnic cultural identity Theoretical and practical implications of the dissertation Theoretical significance: Cultural identity is always changing and the construction of ethnic cultural identity is a process of negotiation with the participation of the parties The dissertation contributes to the study of the politics of identity construction through the reconstruction and cultural performance at the museum Practical significance: Some of the results of the topic are suggestions and scientific basis for the organization of exhibition and performance activities of the museum These results support consulting activities to implement the State's policy on preserving and promoting ethnic identity through cultural activities Structure of the dissertation In addition to the Introduction and Conclusion, the dissertation consists of chapters: Chapter 1: Overview of the research situation and theoretical basis Chapter 2: The formation and development of the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology and the organization of ethnic cultural performance activities Chapter 3: Activities of performing the cultural identity of the Bana, Thai and Kinh ethnic groups at the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology Chapter 4: Performance activities at the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology and the politics of identity construction Chapter OVERVIEW OF THE RESEARCH SITUATION AND THEORETICAL BASIS 1.1 Research Literature Review 1.1.1 Ethnicity and the problem of ethnic classification in Vietnam Research documents, policy documents and media materials on 54 ethnic groups in Vietnam are often divided into majority and minority ethnic groups, of which the Kinh (the Viet) are the majority ethnic group, the rest are ethnic minorities The classification and identification of an ethnic group in Vietnam is also a particularly important political task and strategic issue in the current revolutionary period for national affairs The exhibits and performances of the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology are affected by this ethnic classification The museum also exhibits by language group and by region These identities are reconstructed according to ethnic groups, linguistic groups as well as according to each ethnic group 1.1.2 Research on ethnic cultural identity and identity The moment from Doi Moi, the issue of cultural identity, has become a topic of discussion on many forums of both managers as well as cultural practitioners Preserving and promoting cultural identity becomes the task, goal and driving force of social development Ethnic identity is not only what has been formed in tradition, but also what is happening in daily life Therefore, cultural identity is always recreated, supplemented with new values, compatible with the modern social context 1.1.3 Studying the role of museums in constructing ethnic cultural identity - Research on the role of museums in some countries around the world: Many works around the world study identity and color preservation in museums The majority of authors have discussed the dynamics of cultural identities in museums -Research on the role of museums in Vietnam in constructing identity: Some research on performances at museums also clarifies cultural expression, ethnic cultural identity Some authors identify regional cultural nuances and ethnic culture as a cultural entity of each country Cultural performance at the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology is an important task and strategy to contribute to the preservation of national cultural identity in today's society 1.1.4 Evaluation of research works Studies raise conflicting issues of identity that are both fixed and ever-changing The unification is based on the view of the core elements, the essence and symbolism of the problems of the people formed in history Meanwhile, many works also analyze the construction of ethnic identity A dissertation from the point of view of cultural transformation and ethnic identity is a creative process The research works related to the dissertation have not yet clarified the cultural performance, re-enacting the identity as a result of the negotiation process between the State and the community The dissertation analyzes the process of the construction of ethnic cultural identity placed in the interaction between stakeholders in specific contexts The dissertation also clarifies the duty of the VME to perform cultural exhibitions and performances, as a process of constructing ethnic identity through negotiation, political expression, concessions and social criticism The concept of tools and theoretical basis 2.1 The concept of tools 2.1.1.Cultural identity, ethnic identity - Identity: is used to refer to the inherent special properties or peculiar characteristics that create the difference of things/people that are manifested externally to distinguish one thing/person from another thing/ person “Identity” is primarily understood in relation to a conception of self ( self-concept ) or self-identity - a set of beliefs about the self Cultural identity is constituted through individual/group experience in the face of social environment, history and with other external groups/individuals Cultural identity can be thought of as cultural characteristics that help distinguish one ethnic group from another - Ethnic identity: is understood as specific cultural elements, such as clothing, houses, cuisine, family relationships and clans, religious practices and beliefs specific to a nation -Construction of cultural identity: Cultural identity or ego identity is always created in relationship with the outside Cultural identity and identity are not immutable, but are always changing and depend on specific contexts 2.1.2 Performance and representation - Performance: includes performance, and for museums performing here can be understood including display The concept of performance can be understood in a broad sense to include forms of performance, organization of cultural activities, and display of the Vietnam Museum of Art - Representation: cultural identity is presented through the knowledge, views of curators, museum officials, those in charge, the direction of leadership, the participation of the community NCS uses the concept of representation to include both display and/or performance 2.2 Theoretical basis 2.2.1 The politics of the museum Politics is often associated with the workings of power, and museums and exhibitions are always political As an important cultural site, the museum became an instrument of political hegemony and power The dissertation considers the museum as a place of power and the politics of reenactment The Vietnam Museum of Ethnology is part of the State's political apparatus to create and recreate the culture of the ethnic community 2.2.2 The role of museums in identity construction After Doi Moi, the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology was established with the noble political task of expressing the culture of the 54 ethnic groups, with unity in diversity Museums are a system of representative practices, and every decision made in building an 5,000,000 visitors from more than 80 countries and territories The Museum's website has established a reputation for foreign travel channels such as America's TripAdvisor ranking 4th among the 25 most attractive museums in Asia Exhibitions and performances were developed and implemented in a lively manner with the participation and negotiation of the community The exhibitions and performances attract a large number of domestic and foreign public to visit the museum and contribute to building and developing the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology into a center of science, culture and introduction to the community of 54 ethnic groups in Vietnam 2.2 The process of organizing performance activities at the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology 2.2.1 Experience of some museums in the world and lessons and guidelines of Vietnam Museum of Ethnology Museums in China, Japan, Korea, the Philippines and several other countries have undergone hundreds of years of development with achievements in the construction of exhibition space, and performances The goal of the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology is to learn from the experience of modern display methods, approach from the community, the subject of culture introduces itself to cultural features that express ethnic identity proactively and in order to create opportunities for the public to learn culture through direct exchange with cultural subjects 2.2.2 The concept of organizing performance activities at the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology The exhibition and performance of the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology not only introduces the content and aesthetic beauty of the artifacts, but also focuses on the aspect of the community's knowledge construction process Applying the views from the community to the performance activities of the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology has shown 11 the dynamism in keeping with the updated professional skills of the world, meeting the needs of the contemporary public 2.2.3 Organizing performance activities at the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology To perform each demonstration to invite the ethnic community of each locality, the Museum conducts basic steps: Before inviting the community; while inviting the local community; after inviting the community; Organizing performance activities at the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology The selection of demonstration activities, working with the community must be flexible and improvised in each specific context The museum works with all levels of government, the community has favorable times to receive the support of the parties, there are also times when the parties not have a common voice, so they must negotiate The museum always listens to the opinions of the community to reconcile the opposing views, and there is a consensus for effective performance activities Chapter ETHNIC CULTURAL PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES BANA, THAI, KINH AT VIETNAM MUSEUM OF ETHNOLOGY 3.1 Demonstration of the cultural identity of the Bana people 3.1.1 Display of Bana culture at Trong Dong Building The research results of the Bana ethnic culture collection in the Museum have more than 400 artifacts and photographic materials, but only choose to display 26 artifacts The Bana people's exhibits include musical instruments, gongs, drums, jewelry, costumes, textile, agricultural production tools on the field, hunting, means of transport, household appliances; display inside glass cabinets and outside glass cabinets placed on shelves and on walls The construction of ethnic 12 cultural identity with the intentional participation of museum staff and the negotiation with the Bana community The identity of the Bana people was introduced for the purpose of expressing cultural diversity, at the same time showing the cultural characteristics of the community and finally with the aim of attracting visitors to the Museum 3.1.2 Display of Bana culture at the Architectural Garden The selection of the cottage is a process of research, selection and negotiation between the museum's team of experts, local government representatives and the community The museum has been negotiating with the community to choose materials that can replace, decorate, arrange furniture, and especially display traditional Bana musical instruments This process of negotiation and selection is aimed at demonstrating the purpose of the Museum is to recreate the cultural identity of the nation, and at the same time meet the updated and modern display methods of the museum to attract visitors The reconstruction of the communal house with folk knowledge about building houses, decorating patterns and practicing culture and beliefs inside the communal house is a reconstruction with changes through negotiation and community consent 3.1.3 Performance activities of the Bana ethnic group The forms of organizing performance activities to introduce the cultural heritage of the Bana people in the Museum are mainly in two forms associated with the house, which are technical performances, roofing in the process of building a communal house and performing ceremonies to celebrate the new house, folklore in the opening of a new house In the space of a quiet communal house, many forms of folklore have been performed by artisans such as reciting epic poems, gongs, dances, etc Thus, through performance activities, the community has directly re-enacted the knowledge and culture that expresses the identity 13 of the nation while being intuitive, lively and effective The performances become activities and cultural exchanges between the public and the community in the reconstructed space at the Museum 3.2 Demonstration of the cultural identity of the Thai people 3.2.1 Black Thai House in Trong Dong Building Thai culture is vividly recreated and brought to life on the second floor of the Trong Dong Building with artifacts, stilt houses interwoven with ethnic groups of the Tay-Tai language group including ethnic groups One of the characteristics that distinguish the two groups of Thai people is the traditional stilt house architecture The stilt house of the white Thai people has many similarities with the house of the Tay people and the stilt house of the black Thai people is close to the style of Mon - Khmer residents The highlight in this gallery is the reproduction of a black Thai stilt house with daily living space layouts Viewers can see the characteristics of black Thai stilt house architecture through the turtle-shaped roof, quail, floor railing, interior decoration, etc The construction of Thai ethnic cultural identity through the style of stilt houses, interior decoration and the symbol of externally quaking with flowers, costumes, towels is selective The house is reconstructed to reflect the traditional culture, symbols, family relationships, society, and the living place of the family The Thai display space partly portrays the Thai national identity, giving a vivid view of a people in a miniature space of the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology 3.2.2 Performance activities of the Thai people An introduction to Thai culture is held at the Museum with many different activities: cuisine, music, Muong Chanh pottery, textile weaving, knitting, Chá Singing ceremony The museum organizes performance activities from the point of view of inheritance and selection associated with the needs of contemporary cultural life The 14 Museum and the community coordinate to organize folk art performances at the Museum on the occasion of the Lunar New Year, showing that the construction of Thai identity has direct participation in the negotiation of the community Some community contents are also willing to adjust to harmonize with the requirements of serving visitors of the Museum Each side has the same purpose of preserving the national cultural heritage, but in each specific context, each side has its own goals that express the voice of the subject, and the political task of the Museum 3.3 Presentation of cultural identity of Kinh ethnic group 3.3.1 Display of Kinh culture in the Trong Dong Building Kinh (Viet) people belong to the Vietnamese - Muong language group and are the subject ethnic group, so the Museum arranges a space to display artifacts on the first floor, Trong Dong Building, after the introduction of 54 Vietnamese ethnic groups With an area of more than 100 m2, with a total of 135 exhibits with typical performances of Mother Tam Phu worship, Dong Ho folk painting, Water puppet, ancestral altars, and some traditional crafts This choice of display both expresses the purpose of re-imagining the identity of the Museum with the professional and technical advice of experts at home and abroad, and is the voice of the cultural master Along with the display methods (shelves, glass cabinets, lighting, design, open space…, videos, panels, photos…), the cultural displays of the Kinh people have been reproduced in a relatively effective way, eye-label, selective, typical, and so attract visitors 3.3.2 Cultural space of Kinh ethnic group at Architectural Garden The museum displays the traditional house of the Kinh people according to its functions and tasks, so the view of displaying artifacts 15 inside the house is different from the living environment of the previous owner The Museum's viewpoint is to respect cultural subjects and try to maximize the display of artifacts that have similarities with the rich family in the past through collected artifacts in Thanh Hoa province Changes in the construction of the house, regenerating the space inside and outside the house is a negotiation with the owner of the house in the context of the absence of original artifacts The choice of reconstruction of traditional houses is an arduous process and the choice of experts, famous scientists The house is selected to meet both representative and traditional views with stories related to the context, the living spaces inside and outside the house that show the cultural characteristics of the family and social life 3.3.3 Performance activities of Kinh ethnic group Traditional house space at the VME where performances are held on festive occasions, Lunar New Year, annual events Typical performances include: Performances introducing Vietnamese identity through Lunar New Year; Introducing the farewell ceremony of Mr Cong and Mr Tao; Performances of Tet banh chung package; Performances of Dong Ho folk paintings; Calligraphy writing performances; Water puppet performances.It can be seen that the performance of cultural expressions imbued with the identity of the Kinh ethnic group with the consultation and re-evaluation of the national identity of the community is both lively and eye-catching, attracting a large number of visitors to the Museum 16 Chapter PERFORMANCES AT VIETNAM MUSEUM OF ETHNOLOGY AND THE POLITICS OF IDENTITY CONSTRUCTION 4.1 The problem of selection in constructing ethnic cultural identity 4.1.1 Selection from the context of the museum The context of the Museum as a state agency implementing the guidelines and lines of the Party is political, showing power in constructing identity In order to create a culture that is both "advanced" and "imbued with national identity" in the context of museum integration, exhibitions and cultural performances of ethnic communities have been organized flexibly in many different ways The museum exploits ethnic cultural elements through exhibits, traditional houses, community houses and performance activities on occasions and events The message of the displays of the three ethnic groups Bana, Thai and Kinh exudes consistent and clear messages that Vietnam is a country of ethnic diversity, cultural diversity, both diverse and unified Through exhibitions, the Museum selects a number of cultural characteristics of ethnic groups in order to introduce them to the general public and international visitors That is the overarching political task of the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology, and this is reflected in the panel entitled "Peoples in Vietnam - Diversity and Unity" that opens the entire exhibition 4.1.2 Selection from the community context Vietnam Museum of Ethnology has always determined the organization of performances and exhibitions to introduce diverse cultural features, showing the cultural identity of ethnic groups and localities on the basis of the selection of cultural subjects The museum creates an environment where more and more cultural actors have the 17 opportunity to present their thoughts in the way they want Performing activities are organized in association with the community, associated with conservation and development in diversity with diverse types of ethnic groups such as: singing sinus, gong (Bana ethnic group), singing ceremony (Thai ethnic group), water puppetry, terrestrial puppetry, folk toys (Kinh ethnic group) The selection of the content of a performance always has many options because it is difficult to bring an entire model from the locality to the museum Each performance must be discussed and carefully selected among the stakeholders to ensure both the approach and expertise of the Museum, as well as the consensus and suggestions of the locality and the community The comments and direct participation of the community in the selection of exhibits and performances have not only helped the Museum avoid professional errors but also gave the community an opportunity to express their own voice and choices Cultural selection is a process of negotiation that involves consent and also concessions according to different contexts 4.2 The problem of negotiation in the construction of identity 4.2.1 Negotiation: Consent Through the case studies of the Museum's process of constructing Bana, Thai and Kinh identity, each ethnic group and locality has a different way of negotiating For successful negotiation, the parties have flexibility or tactics to suit each national and local characteristics as well as the interests of the parties The museum has to work with leaders from the central to local levels, leading to many complex and influential exchanges and negotiations of many parties participating in a performance.The selection of performance content always involves the participation of the parties to ensure the correct implementation of the Party and State guidelines, meet the needs of 18