Gender relations and social media: a grounded theory inquiry of young Vietnamese women’s self-presentations on Facebook

Abstract

Since the introduction of Đổi Mới (market economic reforms) in 1986, Vietnam has experienced rapid social, cultural, economic and technological changes. The purpose of this study is to explore the nexus between gender relations and social media with a focus on how young urban Vietnamese women present themselves on Facebook. Grounded theory was employed to inquire into this phenomenon, revealing that the participants use various self-presentation techniques (strategies) including an ideal appearance, competency (mastery) and a positive image. The participants’ self-presentations were found to be simultaneously influenced by Confucian ethics, socialist ideology and neoliberal global culture. The intersection of these social forces has changed the nature of gender relations and expectations for young Vietnamese women, leading to the emergence of a neoliberal gendered self in their presentations on Facebook. This study foregrounds how gender relations in early twenty-first century Vietnam are being reconfigured by competing values and how these can be analyzed through and influenced by social media use.