CROSS-BORDER ECONOMIC RELATIONS OF THE KHMER COMMUNITY IN TAY NINH PROVINCE FROM AN ECONOMIC ANTHROPOLOGY PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

Cross-border economic relations are among the defining characteristics of ethnic communities living along the Vietnam-Cambodia border. Among the Khmer community in Tay Ninh Province, cross-border activities not only serve as important livelihood strategies but are also deeply embedded in kinship ties, community networks, and cultural norms that have evolved over generations. Drawing on primary data collected from a survey of 100 households, five in-depth interviews, and one focus group discussion conducted in Tay Ninh Province, this study applies Karl Polanyi’s economic anthropology framework to examine the nature of cross-border economic relations. The findings reveal that the economic activities of the border Khmer are not governed solely by the market principle of profit maximisation. Rather, they are shaped by the three fundamental principles of economic integration identified by Polanyi: reciprocity, redistribution, and market exchange. Among these, kinship relations, social networks, and community trust constitute the social foundations that sustain cross-border economic practices, even amid deepening economic integration and increasingly stringent border governance. The study therefore demonstrates the explanatory value of Polanyi’s economic anthropology in understanding the social embeddedness of cross-border economic activities among ethnic minority communities in contemporary Vietnam.