Nose Picking in Vietnam: A Comparison of Colonial and Post-Colonial Practices

This study focuses on nose picking, a regularly observable occurrence in Vietnam.Elias said that in the civilizing process self-regulation is a gathering force and the act of nose picking is not perform in public. To better understand the reasons why nose picking is a regularly observable occurrence in Vietnam, I analyze content from Thanh Nghi, a magazine published from 1887-1945 during the French colonial era and created by Vietnamese intellectuals to further the spread of French civilizational ideals.This study has two purposes: first, it clarifies the role of Thanh Nghi as an intellectual proponent of French colonialism. Second, it explores different aspects of the civilizing process. By achieving these two aims, the study illustrates the effectiveness of the civilizing process in colonial society.