Abstract
This paper unfolds how the agency practices of microcredit clients are produced and reproduced by the intended actions of agents in terms of ‘embodiment’ and ‘emotionality’. To justify the process, data of the present study were collected through in-depth informal interviews and an interview guideline was used for specific questions and issues in the view of analytical framework approach. Socio-cultural constructions within any particular society typify the agency exercise of a particular group of people involved in the process. In this regard, the study finds that ‘emotionality’ and ‘embodiment’ as the confining factors of the clients considered as socio-cultural barriers that are so important to grasp before development intervention and implementation. And the study also finds that the repayment pressure of credit brings emotional stress and anxiety in the everyday life of clients involved with microcredit system. Replication of microcredit operations should consider the internal structure of the particular social locale.
Highlights
Microfinance, as an effective poverty alleviating instrument, is the core of the largest NGO programs in Bangladesh
The study finds that the repayment pressure of credit brings emotional stress and anxiety in the everyday life of clients involved with microcredit system
After a brief overview about the elements related to embodiment and emotionality, it can be concluded that clients are constrained by multi-faceted difficulties around their social surroundings
Summary
Microfinance, as an effective poverty alleviating instrument, is the core of the largest NGO programs in Bangladesh. Despite the NGOs and microfinance institutions boom in Bangladesh, the poverty situation in the country has not significantly improved (Sen, 2002). This is due to the failure of neo-liberal development strategy and discourse and the lack of sociological understanding and research. This study shows interest to explain how embodiment and emotionality may affect microcredit clients’ agency and are influenced by the social structure It does not concentrate on measuring; rather understands the process of poverty reduction in terms of the ability to exercise agency by the microcredit consumers. The study endeavors to understand the meaning of events, situations, experiences, beliefs and actions of the agents (credit clients) that may create implicit/explicit constraints in exercising agency and how agents’ own understanding influence their behavior
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