Navigating Child Marriage in Vietnam; An Ethnographic Case Study on Social Expectations, Cultural Norms, and Local Adaptations of Child Marriage in Ban Luoc, Ha Giang

Abstract

In the remote highlands of northern Vietnam, child marriage remains culturally embedded among ethnic minority communities, despite legal reforms and awareness campaigns. This ethnographic case study explores how child marriage is justified, perceived, and navigated in Ban Luoc commune, through three questions:

How is child marriage justified or normalised despite efforts to reduce it? How do community members navigate social, legal, and cultural expectations? How is child marriage perceived and distinguished from legal marriage or cohabitation? Drawing on social norms theory, cultural relativism, and symbolic interactionism, the analysis reveals that child marriage is seen not as a legal violation but as a culturally rooted practice shaped by love, social expectation, and family duty. Practices like cohabitation, delayed registration, and engagement are used to balance local norms with legal constraints. Gendered expectations also place a significant burden on girls, who often face disrupted education, teenage pregnancies, and limited autonomy. While state policies define child marriage through age and consent, local communities interpret it through terms like qua lại (side-to-side visiting) and engagement, which reflect different symbolic meanings. The findings highlight the gap between global human rights standards and local realities. This study argues for culturally sensitive approaches to addressing child marriage, rooted in an understanding of how international norms are interpreted and adapted in specific cultural settings. It contributes to the broader discussion on how global norms are negotiated in local contexts.