Cultural and social changes in BD: old and new realities

A good example of change relating to culture may seem funny or ironic but nowadays when people go to the Shaheed Minar, they think as much about when they will be able to push the jam and return home and just about the event they are going to. Space-time-continuum changes everything including our culture.
Not only is change happening, but social divisions are also increasing. And that is leading to tensions. Social media is a good space to track such changes. Almost everyone trolls these days as intolerance is the chosen weapon of self-defense. In some ways we are afraid to tolerate each other as we fear for our survival or loss of control. Thus, anxiety and intolerance are increasingly becoming a source of cultural practices.
Culture is an indicator of social change. It doesn't just change; it changes beyond recognition due to circumstances in many cases. Singing, poetry or festivals are part of the superstructure, the core is social infrastructure. So "Bengaliana" if you will, is not eternal; it is also spatial, temporal.
Culture is likened to an onion. Music, food, clothing and even language or religious practices are expressions of social reality. The main issue is how and why one chooses or is forced to adopt a social behavior to meet the various demands of life. The key is socio-economic reality. How are the customs and rules of the society being determined?
Dutch anthropologist Hofstede has done a lot of work on this topic. According to him, there are six main sources of social culture. These factors act as regulators of culture.
1. The extent to which a society is prepared to accept socio-economic inequality.
2. Is society connected or loosely organized? Do individuals care only for themselves and their immediate family, not the wider society.
3. Does that society emphasize masculinity related achievements or feminine elements like caring and kindness?
4. Does this society avoid uncertainty or is willing to take risks? How do they deal with present and future challenges?
5. Is the society based on tradition or realistic?
6. Is this society consumerism or moderation driven? Is it social restraint centered or enjoyment centered?
The model is based on social behavior but some of its notions such as number 3 -masculine or feminine prototypes- are outdated and not fact based. It also predates the era of globalization and digitalization. As a result, the difference with the present is noticeable.
However, the list can be used to kick off any research work, but everyone has to gather new clues from the reality of their own society to understand the state of culture at any given time.
We are currently involved in a research project trying to identify the key elements of culture, particularly in rural societies and how they are changing and evolving. The initial findings are thought provoking and more : The main findings are as follows :
1. People are driven first by the economic needs for survival, then by the desire to live a comfortable life and finally by the desire for economic prosperity. Three types of cultural practices and social practices can be observed in three stages. Traditional behavior patterns dominated by social and economic realities dominate, many linked to rural perceptions. Bengali or religious ideas are not the main sources but the nature of the "village" as the organic unit dominates. The pursuit of livelihood security is the main social determinant.
2. People are averse to change and risk taking in the domestic/social/household domain, but favor high risk in ensuring livelihood.
3. Society is simultaneously collectivist, group driven and, depending on the situation, individualistic too. Digitalization creates new communities and groups centered around work and consumption as old communities/ networks decline.
4. Institutional/governmental and non-institutional/private structures are not mutually exclusive, but at the same time are also separate and autonomous. Social connections increase or decrease with the participants' fear of gain or loss.
5. Increased income has reduced dependence on institutional and group and social capital and connections.. Families themselves can meet many of these needs resulting in decreased social dependence and bonding, although networking is growing.
6. Traditional gender-based values in society are declining as economics changes. Women are entering the labor market in greater numbers and establishing themselves as confident breadwinners making earlier equations weak.
7. Despite the official promotion of history as a political product, people deal with the past as realistically as possible. People are realists i.e. they use or reject history to suit their advantages.
8. The propensity to consume and the propensity to preserve social traditions, though contradictory, coexist comfortably. Various types of 'practices' are prevalent for establishing social status. The display of religious or public cultural rituals is important. Contradictory behavior is socially tolerated far more including in their private lives, though not publicly. People are more interested in observing visible rituals.
Social divisions are multiple, be it class or urban village or traditional gender divisions. The cultural practice of Bangladesh's superstructure is not universal, but leans more towards diversity.
Society is changing and there is not a single dominating culture but a mix of trends. A new middle class is being created at a massive rate, especially focusing on immigration. They are one of the main forces behind this change. Their number is around 15 million and they are financially strong and not dependent on the national economy.
As always culture continues to change as it meets and tries to cope with new realities.

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