Consumption and Vietnam’s New Middle Classes

This book studies the dramatic changes in consumption patterns in Vietnam the past decades, combining a focus on everyday practices and societal transformations. Zooming in on the new urban middle classes, and through in-depth case studies in the realms of mobility, food and energy, the book brings new insights to some of the most urgent global sustainability challenges. Based on a decade of research in Vietnam, the book aims to contribute to better understanding one of the most fascinating ‘development success stories’ in the world. It introduces the term ‘consumer socialism’ to analyse some of the contradictions embedded in the socialist market economy. Simultaneously, the book aims to contribute to strengthening consumption research in and on emerging economies, and for this purpose develops a theoretical approach combining social practice theory and political economy. Arve Hansen is a researcher at Centre for Development and the Environment, University of Oslo,where he leads the centre’s research on consumption and energy and the Norwegian Network for Asian Studies. His research focuses on consumption and sustainability and the political economy of everyday practices, with a particular interest in Vietnam where he has worked for more than a decade.