The geopolitical and socioeconomic factors of digitization in Vietnam: Technology adoption in the art and cultural sector during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

This paper argues that there is an emergent digital culture in the art and cultural sector in Hanoi, which is producing a paradigm shift in the nature of work for cultural professionals, the way of preserving and displaying art collections as well as the nature of international connections. The advent of the ‘fourth industrial revolution’ in Vietnam has brought about advances in digitization. While this transition is crucial in achieving national sustainable development goals, Vietnam remains at a disadvantage on a global scale due to country-specific challenges in digitization, including lack of human, technical, and financial resources. These challenges are hindering the pace and quality of the digitization process and impeding cultural professionals' ability to utilize digital platforms. In addition, the global digital divide is having impacts on access, inclusion and representation. This shows that the challenges faced in the digitization process are not only about access to technology but also about much more deep-seated issues related to culture, history, and social inequalities. This issue has become especially pertinent during the Covid-19 pandemic and has highlighted digital inequalities in access and inclusion.

The research draws on 20 semi-structured interviews with cultural professionals across Hanoi. The interviews were carried out during the Covid-19 pandemic and addressed its impact on digitization projects as well as use of digital technologies for work. The findings show how geopolitical and socioeconomic factors can supress the ability to adopt new digital technologies and hinder the ability to exploit the opportunities of digitization. The Covid-19 pandemic has allowed more time to focus on digitization projects and to utilize digital tools and platforms, especially with free open-source platforms such as Facebook. This has become one route towards exploiting the opportunities of digitization for increased exposure, inclusion in the discourse, and creation of digital resources on Vietnamese art and culture.