The Emerging Consumer Culture in Bangladesh: Everyday Life and Festivals in Rural Areas

Nidal Nidal

doi:10.3844/jssp.2010.488.497

Abstract

Problem statement: Bangladesh, often better known to the outside world as a country of natural calamities, is a poor and low-income country. Bangladesh’s main challenge is to reduce poverty through increasing equitable income. Although Bangladesh has faced many problems since its independence in 1971, its gross domestic product has been growing steadily and the country has achieved much success in social indicators. This article explores the culture of consumption in rural Bangladesh and answers the following question: How is Bangladeshi culture associated with consumption. Approach: This study employed a triangulation of methods: namely semi-structured indepth qualitative interviews, ethnography and unstructured conversations substantiated by secondary sources and photographs. Results: This study highlighted consumption and other related issues of marriage and dowry, household decision making, division of labor, as well as different festivals such as Eid (for Muslims), the Bengali New Year and Durga puja (for Hindus). Early marriage and dowry are still practiced in rural areas. Women in rural Bangladesh perform most of the household work but men, as in any other patriarchal society, make the major decisions. Conclusion: The government and NGOs should engage in various activities to boost awareness among the rural people.

Highlights

Bangladesh, once known as ‘Sonar Bangla’ (Golden Bengal), has a long and glorious cultural heritage
This study explores the cultural aspect of consumption, or cultural consumption, in rural Bangladesh by studying social relations and material constructs of life
Finding any significant studies on the cultural aspects of consumption or how consumption is associated with rural Bangladeshi culture is difficult

Summary

Introduction

Bangladesh, once known as ‘Sonar Bangla’ (Golden Bengal), has a long and glorious cultural heritage. Lury (1996) defined material culture as the name of the study of person-thing relationships where people relate to each other socially through the mediation of things. She argued that material and culture are always combined in specific relationships and that ‘consumer culture is a particular form of material culture that has emerged in for much of its history. From 1202-1757, Bangladesh Euro-American societies during the second half of the was under the rule of the Muslims, who came from twentieth century’ (Lury, 1996).

Methods

Results

Conclusion