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Southeast Asia
Organized Panel Session
Started in early 1990s as a consequence of Doi Moi, the twin process of industrialization and urbanization in Vietnam has resulted in a steady increase of the urban population. One of the main drivers for this transformation is the mass construction of industrial parks in the urban and peri-urban areas that attract a large pool of labour migrating from the rural areas. Many of those who migrate, however, never end up with settlement in urban areas. Industrial wages are too low to allow workers to remain in areas with high living costs while limited working skills inhibit the improvement of income. Industrialization in this case might bring high economic growth but fails to provide people with security and life sustainability. Relying on a field research, the paper aims to provide an investigation and assessment on the constraints preventing industrial workers to permanently settle in urban areas using a qualitative methodology. The research will employ in-depth interviews and life history with selected industrial workers in the electronics sector in the North of Vietnam, who are going to return/have returned to their villages, to clarify the research question.
Quyen Ngoc Vu
Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences, Vietnam