The Middle Class in Hanoi: Vulnerability and Concerns

Abstract

This paper is a part of an ongoing project titled “The social portrait of urban middle class in Vietnam” which seeks to compare qualities of the middle class in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, examines their life concerns, attitudes to social change, and political awareness. It is based on fieldwork conducted in Hanoi in August 2014, where focus groups discussions and in-depth interviews were conducted. Samples included representation of different age groups and professions. The results so far show that despite positive changes in material life, there is a growing sense of vulnerability among the privileged urban middle class over their economic status as well as a growing concern about the quality of public goods.