This ethnographic study by the BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD), Brac University, explores the dynamic transformations in rural Bangladesh over the past three decades. Focusing on eight selected villages across the country, it aims to understand cultural, economic, and environmental changes through narrative inquiry. The study employs qualitative tools to gather comprehensive data, facilitating a deeper understanding of rural life.
Researchers: Shahaduz Zaman; Tanvir Shatil; Khondokar Shakhawat Ali; Mirza M. Hassan; Salina Aziz; Asif Shahan; Afsan Chowdhury; Rohini Kamal; Fariza Rahman; and Khondaker Hasibul Kabir
Timeline: 2023–2024
Status: Ongoing
Contact: Tanvir Shatil; tanvir.shatil@bracu.ac.bd
Context
Bangladesh has seen significant changes in its rural areas over the last few decades. Previous studies, such as the Bangladesh Integrated Household Survey and the Dynamics of Rural Poverty Study, offer quantitative insights but lack the detailed thick descriptions necessary to grasp the nuances of rural transformation—what and how shifts in culture, economy, environment, and social structures have occurred in rural communities. This study aims to fill this gap by employing ethnographic methods to explore the lived experiences of individuals in eight villages across Bangladesh.
Objectives
The study’s primary objective is to analyze village-level changes in Bangladesh, focusing on seven key themes: cultural transformations, financial inclusion, agricultural practices, built environment, migration patterns, environmental impacts, and institutional arrangements. Additionally, the study will address cross-cutting themes such as digitization, gender and gender-based violence, road and transport, environment and climate change, occupation, and family dynamics. By investigating these areas, the study aims to understand the evolving dynamics within rural areas over the past three decades.
Methodology
Before proceeding with the final ethnographic fieldwork, one month of piloting was conducted to identify major themes of change and some of the drivers behind these changes. To capture and interpret the changes in rural Bangladesh, this ethnographic study utilizes narrative inquiry, which allows for a comprehensive understanding of human perceptions and experiences through storytelling, examining these within broader cultural, social, and institutional narratives. The ethnographic fieldwork will be conducted using different anthropological research tools such as in-depth interviews, participant observations, and various participatory tools.
Based on their geographical locations and different aspects that complement the selected themes, eight villages have been selected as research sites. These eight villages are located across Sunamganj, Cumilla, Cox’s Bazar, Shariatpur, Jamalpur, Khulna, Lalmonirhat, and Satkhira. The study will involve approximately six households per village, selected to ensure diversity and representativeness through a maximum variation sampling technique, with multiple visits to each household over three months. The data collection process will focus on capturing the voices and perspectives of a diverse range of participants to ensure a comprehensive understanding of the changes occurring in these communities.
Findings
The forthcoming findings of this study will be divided into seven chapters, each focusing on one of the selected seven themes: cultural transformations, financial inclusion, agricultural practices, built environment, migration patterns, environmental impacts, and institutional arrangements.