Vietnam

In both ancient and modern Vietnam, the family is considered the foundation of society. Grounded in Confucianism, the traditional patriarchal family was viewed as the basic social institution in which the welfare of the extended family outweighed the individual interests of any member. For Ho Chi Minh, the nation's revolutionary hero, the security of the state was rooted in the stability of the family. "It is correct to pay great attention to the family, because many families added together make up a society" (Himmelstrand 1981, p. 23). Ho's views were also clearly implanted in the constitution of the young Vietnamese republic in 1946. "The family is the cell of society. The State protects marriage and the family," reads Article 64 (Constitution of the Republic of Vietnam 1946, p. 26). Thirteen years later, the National Assembly adopted the first major piece of legislation related to marriage and families. It marked the beginning of four major reforms, discussed below.