Pre-marital sex and public displays of affection are just part of a larger transformation in attitude amongst Vietnam’s youth.It’s happening slowly but surely. In a country where adolescents have been taught for centuries to remain chaste until marriage, to dress conservatively, and to refrain from openly discussing sex, a new era of liberated youth appears to be emerging.
A quiet revolution is taking place, say sociologists, as Vietnam’s economic boom ushers in greater freedoms in lifestyle, especially for young adults.
Unwed couples living together, open discussions of love and sexual relations, and the sight of couples canoodling in public places are no longer a rarity in the country.
It is proof, experts say, of how much Vietnamese society has changed after decades of war and economic isolation.
“This change may be a positive sign among young people. They treasure real love rather than [traditional] factors, such as legal regulations and family customs,” said one sociologist who wished to remain unnamed.
“We love each other. And I think there is nothing wrong with us living together. It is quite common now,” 25-year-old garment worker Ngoc said.
The woman from the northern province of Hai Duong started working in Hanoi three years ago and moved into an apartment rented by her boyfriend, also a migrant, who left his village to work in the city as a taxi driver.
“Of course, I can’t let my parents know this. Their generation doesn't accept such a lifestyle, considering it amoral,” Ngoc said.
Not long ago, sex was still a taboo subject in Vietnam and it still is for older generations. It used to be that hand-holding was the only acceptable show of emotion and anyone involved in a sexual scandal could expect to be seriously rebuked.
Last year, a sex video featuring 19-year-old local female celebrity Hoang Thuy Linh and her boyfriend, caused a stir when it was posted on the Internet. At the time, the girl was heavily criticized for setting a poor example for her young fans and Linh’s popular TV show was immediately canceled.
In the past, such a scandal may have been a death sentence for the career of a young celebrity. But not long after the incident, Linh began receiving offers to work on other projects such as fashion and music shows, indicating that today’s public is much more forgiving of such indiscretion.
According to local experts, ideas about sex and gender roles are indeed changing – as is everything else in the rapidly developing country – as satellite TV and the Internet bring Western influence to a society where traditional family values have long held sway.
The influence is seen everywhere nowadays and in Vietnam’s cities, large billboards advertise racy lingerie and scantily clad women.
Extra-marital relations are also reportedly on the increase, especially in big cities and among white-collar employees who don’t have to worry like past generations about preserving a marriage because of financial dependence.
“It isn't a shocking issue to the West, but compared to a time when I was young, it’s something amazing,” said 58-year-old veteran Nguyen Chien Thang about the dawn of increased infidelity in Vietnam.
But for some, accepting new ideas about free love is more difficult than accepting the new free market.
“I can’t understand youths now. They take pre-material sex for granted,” said retired teacher Nguyen Thi Loan. “Traditional moral values should be respected. A good girl should be a virgin until she is married.”
And despite the recent increase in pre-material sex in Vietnam, the numbers remain relatively low compared to other countries. Just 7.6 percent of Vietnamese youth – 11.1 percent of males and 4 percent of females – report engaging in pre-material sex while the average age Vietnamese lose their virginity is 19.6, according to a report released recently in Hanoi.
“I don’t think that the change in sexual attitude is good or bad. Young people have the right to love and to show love as they want,” said 20-yearold student Nguyen Thuy Nguyen. “However, we [young people] don't want to be too conservative, nor too radical. We still respect moral values."
Reported by Bao Anh
Source : Thanh Nien Daily
