Exploring the Relationship Between Higher Education and Inequality in Vietnam: Socio-Cultural Foundations and Future Directions

While education is often understood as a means to improve the social mobility of individuals and decrease the measure of inequality that may be present in any modern society, this direct line of causality starting with access to education towards improved social outcomes is not always a clear case. In this article, the author explores the interrelationship between social inequalities and higher education in Vietnam by presenting a survey of existing research which indicates that increased access to education does not immediately address issues of inequality. As such, this article will look at the socio-cultural foundations of inequality of Vietnam, look at the relationship between Neoliberalism and higher education, and evaluate data on local inequalities and higher education. The author argues that a concerted approach to providing higher education access, participation, and attainment, by engaging with the socio-cultural dynamics of rural localities will better ensure that higher education can adequately meet the needs of the constituents it is meant to serve. In understanding issues related to higher education in Vietnam, a broad view of policy and practice must be complemented by a closer focus on how persons navigate the social worlds they inhabit and the ways in which their social identity is negotiated in relation to this.