How virginity enhances masculinity in contemporary Vietnam : An exploratory study among young educated men and women in Hanoi

ISBN-13: 9783639152760 / Angielski / Miękka / 2009 / 52 str.

Cuong La

Opis

This study examines the social and culturalrelationship between masculinity and virginity inHanoi, Vietnam. Taking a qualitative approach, Iconducted 20 in-depth interviews and four focus groupdiscussions with male and female students. This studyreveals that female virginity is a key culturalconcern among young educated men and women.Traditionally, virginity was measured not only by anintact hymen, but was also demonstrated by thedignity, faith, and love of a woman. The studysuggests that there were two forms of maleexpectation regarding female virginity. The malegroup that highly valued virginity found itimpossible to accept female partners who were notvirgins. To protect their masculinity, these menended their relationships when this fact wasconfessed to them. The second male group valuedvirginity a bit less and these men were more able toaccept the fact that their partners virginity was lost such that they could forgive their femalepartners but only if this loss resulted from aphysical accident that damaged the hymen or throughsexual coercion. Ultimately, this study found thatmarrying a virgin helps men enhance their socialreputation and masculinity.

O autorze

Cuong Manh La is a PhD Candidate at the Australian Research
Centre in Sex, Health and Society at La Trobe University,
Australia. His current research project looks at sexual
expression among young, middle-class, married men in contemporary
Vietnam. Earlier, Cuong earned a master degree in human sexuality
studies in San Francisco in 2005.