Children's word in Vietnam

The topic of this thesis is "Child and childhood in Vietnam". It focuses on the prenatal and the early period of childhood. The thesis uses a cultural anthropological point of view which emphasizes superstitious or taboo behaviour associated with the time of birth - pregnancy, childbirth, puerperium and child care. For the purposes of the thesis, the research was conducted in the north-east urban areas of Northern Vietnam. Since the myths, taboos and rituals tends to change, develop or even perish, it was necessary to limit the topic in terms of time. Therefore the work studies only three generations of Vietnamese women over a sixty-year period. The thesis is based not only on relevant literature but also on the field research conducted in Vietnam. The interviews and unobtrusive observation carried out among involved women extend the information gained from literature and also provide the women's personal point of view on childbirth and early childcare issues. The main objective is to answer how much the so-called "child's world" has changed in the three-generation period and to what extent the rituals, myths and taboos are still relevant to current issues in contemporary Vietnam. Key words: Vietnam, children, childhood, Vietnamese family, birth, child care, taboo, rituals, superstitions