GBL 2480 Vietnam: Capitalism, Culture, and Modernity
This course examines how capitalism, culture, and modernity intersect across these two distinct yet interconnected societies. Focusing on Vietnam’s rapid export-led transformation students will explore how colonial legacies, political systems, and global trade networks have shaped contemporary economic life and social identity. To better understand Vietnam, this course includes a comparative perspective with Hong Kong, Singapore, or another location in Asia to clarify the forces shaping Vietnam’s trajectory. Through historical inquiry, business engagement, and cultural immersion, the course considers how differing pathways to development influence inequality, opportunity, and the future of global commerce in the region.
Prerequisite
Acceptance into program and completion of
GBL 1480
Course Types
Society; Civilization; Experiential Learning Requirement; Asian Studies Elective
Notes
Application, acceptance and additional travel fee required.
Course Outcomes
- Analyze economic growth through export-led industries and how they shape development and the informal economy by examining how colonial legacies, socialist governance, and integration into global production and trade networks shape contemporary economic development and social outcomes.
- Compare development strategies and economic models (e.g. free markets and government-led centralized coordination) by evaluating Vietnam alongside a second Asian context (e.g., Hong Kong), with attention to differing colonial histories, political institutions, and development trajectories.
- Analyze how participation in Vietnam’s informal economy and small scale entrepreneurship reflects and shapes social identity, community networks, and culturally embedded norms around trust, obligation, and opportunity.
- Demonstrate the ability to problem-solve in unfamiliar cultural contexts by navigating scenarios involving communication, decision-making, and everyday logistics encountered in Hong Kong and Vietnam.
- Evaluate one’s own experiences, map them to NACE competencies, and articulate learning in a professional context.