A Comparison of Youth’s Value Systems: The Case of Vietnamese Ethnic Groups

This paper aimed to examine and compare the value systems of youth from the ethnic minority and majoritygroups in the South of Vietnam. Rokeach’ value theory and value system survey (Rokeach Value Survey – RVS)are employed to investigate these value systems. Research samples were conveniently selected from a total of102 students (60.6% females) in a youth ethnic minority vocational college and two public universities. Thefindings were consistent with the previous studies conducted in Vietnam and other developed countries. Resultsindicated that terminal values of students from both groups tended to have more emphasis on personal andpolitical values that reflected the concern of psychological stability and independence. Youth from minoritygroups showed less tendency toward a relational and social orientation, whereas youth from ethnic majoritygroup displayed a less concern on values related to hedonistic and individualistic values. For the instrumentalvalues, both groups gave a higher ranking for moral values than competency and intrinsic values. Youth fromethnic minority groups tended to have more emphasize on accomplishment and competent values than youthfrom ethnic majority group. The terminal values of young people from ethnic minority and majority groups aremore alike than their instrumental values. Significant differences between two groups were only found in somevalues. The findings contribute to the existenting literatures and suggest longitudinal studies on comparing valuesystems among ethnic groups in order to promote the value exchanged trend happened during the context ofglobalization in Vietnamese modern society.