Sociology

This article reports on a multi-method impact evaluation of a therapeutic summer camp program for children and youth with learning disabilities and related psychosocial problems. The study examines the degree to which program objectives were achieved through a pre-camp, post-camp, follow-up design using a series of standardized instruments, camp evaluations, and interviews with parents. The results indicate that the campers reported less social isolation, experienced modest improvements in self-esteem, and expressed high levels of satisfaction with the camp. The measures for social skills generally failed to register significant changes, although parents reported improvements in the areas of cooperation, responsibility, and self-control.

Citation: Vansintjan, A., Nguyen V., Le C., and Nguyen T. “Adaptation Strategies Used by Low-Income Residents Affected by Land Use Changes in Hanoi, Vietnam”. Journal of Science and Technology in Civil Engineering (STCE) - NUCE, Vol. 13, no. 1, Jan. 2019, pp. 78-88,

Since Vietnam shifted to a market-economy in the 1980s, Hanoi has seen rapid urban expansion similar to that of other South East Asian cities—involving megaprojects, luxury developments, rural-to-urban migration, informal housing construction, and escalating speculation. Researchers have considered how unemployment and the disruption of community life followed urbanization of rural areas; however, little has been said about how people adjusted their everyday life to cope with the changes. Through in-depth interviews, focus groups, participatory observation, oral histories, and surveys, our research investigated adaptation strategies of low-income residents in the face of land use changes that are beyond their control. Our main research site is Tay Ho—previously a conglomeration of agricultural villages that has, in the past 20 years, witnessed rapid transformation through large-scale government-funded infrastructures, luxury housing, and smaller lodgings built by individual households for migrant workers. We identify four main adaptation strategies used by residents. First, people turn to food as a safety net. Running small street stalls, selling goods in local markets, and delivering to restaurants are common. Second, as farms transform into roads and buildings, people take advantage of public space to garden and socialize with neighbours. Third, gender division is significant as women are often excluded from the male-dominated land inheritance system and the formal economy, so they turn to informal trade, which offers autonomy and helps to develop social connections. Fourth, as land is stripped away and compensated by a lump sum of cash, people build social capital to persevere. Our findings suggest that, in the context of rising global speculation, the urbanization of the countryside, and the need to ensure the sustainability and inclusivity of cities, urban planners and policy-makers must take into account the way by which low-income residents continue to rely on environmental and social capital to adapt to changes.

From October 2016 to March 2017, we spent our time going around Hanoi, talking to people, learning about how urban change affects people’s lives. During this time, we had the privilege of meeting over 80 residents, officials, researchers, and urban planners who were kind enough to tell us their life stories and ideas.  This is is a collection of those photos and stories from the conversations we had. We hope that, by sharing this with you, the stories we heard can reach a wider audience.