Understanding these different aspects of social capital and their evolution can help to determine the degree of cohesiveness in Vietnamese society and the way and extent to which these various dimensions of social capital facilitate co-ordination and co-operation for mutual benefits. Interpersonal trust and tolerance for diversity are found to strengthen the sense of belonging, reduce social discontent and lower crime rates (Wilkinson, Kawachi and Kennedy, 1998). In fragmented societies, the level of trust is usually lower (Alesina and La Ferrara, 2002, Glaeser et al.,