In this episode, host Namfon Narumol Choochan and co-host Chunhao Luo, a PhD student in History and co-chair of the SEAP Graduate Committee, speak with Professor Bradley Davis about his new project on the Nguyễn dynasty of Vietnam (1802-1880). Together, they discuss how a multicultural and interdisciplinary approach could shed new light on the understandings of modernity in Vietnam. They also discuss how conversations with local communities can offer new ways to understand archival sources and produce historical knowledge. Tune in to learn more!
Lightning round (Lecture Summary): 5:29
Main interview:
10:35: How did you become interested in Vietnamese history, and what inspired you to pursue a doctoral degree?
12: 23: What is your PhD project about?
15:15: Your doctoral project focuses on a space situated between Southeast Asia and East Asia. How do you situate Vietnamese history within these two regional frameworks? What are the advantages and limitations of thinking about Vietnamese history in these terms?
18:20: Do you see differences between the perspectives of scholars studying Vietnam in the Anglophone world and those studying Vietnam within Vietnam?
21:18: You discuss how textual practices shaped the categorization of people and other species. Were there particular epistemological or intellectual developments among Vietnamese-speaking elites during this period that prompted greater production of ethnographic knowledge?
23:48: What are the primary sources for your project?
27:00: Can you tell us about your experience conducting ethnographic research?
32:18: Can you tell us more about how people perceive and understand elephants(in the ongoing new project)?
34:10: What does it mean to be a multicultural society?
36:11: When we talk about modernity, we often think primarily about Western modernity, particularly in the context of Southeast Asia. How did internal factors within Southeast Asia shape processes of reform and Vietnam's own pathway toward modernity?
Advice for researchers and recommendations: 39:03
Dr. Davis' top recommendation:
The music on the podcast is from "14 Strings!", a Filipino-style Rondalla group established at Cornell University. Check them out here.
Produced by Adam Farihin and Cecilia Liu
