KOJIN Emi

Previous research

My research has been focused on rural Vietnam, mainly in the Mekong Delta region. My research interests can be divided into two main topics. One is the aspects of rural economic activities. I have studied how people engaged in agricultural production and marketing adapt to the socio-economic changes resulting from economic development and globalization. The other topic concerns the transformation of rural society that occurs in parallel with such economic changes. In particular, I have focused on the process and factors of widening inequality in rural areas. I have also organized joint projects to examine the social differentiation and diversification not only in rural areas but also in Vietnamese society as a whole.

Current research projects

I am conducting research on intergenerational social mobility in rural areas, with a particular focus on occupational mobility of farmers’ children through university education. I am working on this topic in order to understand how rural Vietnam will change in the next generation(i.e., whether agriculture will be maintained, and if so, who will be in charge of agriculture and how in what form).