Socio-cultural shifts in a Hmong Society in Northwestern Vietnam: A Case Study in Txheeb Siv Village, Phong Thổ District, Lai Châu Province

This article examines the significant transformations of a homogeneous Hmong community by analyzing a case study of an upland hamlet called Txheeb Siv (Sin Suối Hồ in Vietnamese) in the Phong Thổ district of Lai Châu province, Vietnam. The findings concern changes in the village’s authority, economic livelihoods, and cultural practices of Txheeb Siv villagers. Based on ethnographical fieldwork results, this research indicates that there are three kinds of authority coexisting in this village, including traditional authority, charismatic authority, and rational-legal authority. Besides, there has been a significant shift in economic activity, highlighting the importance of both traditional farming and husbandry along with community-based tourism and trading. In terms of culture, Hmong villagers made changes in their food and house design while preserving the necessary traditional customs of the Hmong in their spiritual life and festivals. As such, this article assumes there are three key factors leading to such changes, including an overreaching Communist state policy, acute ethnic self-awareness, and the globalization of Christianity.