"From Marginality to Mainstream: The Integration Journey of Individuals from Tea Communities in Sylhet into the Broader Bangladeshi Society"
Authors
Roy, Tonny ; Ferdous, Tamanna
Term
4. semester
Education
Publication year
2025
Submitted on
2025-05-27
Pages
67
Abstract
Bangladeshs tearbejderfællesskaber har i generationer oplevet social og økonomisk marginalisering, men et stigende antal personer i Sylhet søger nu større deltagelse i det bredere samfund. Dette speciale undersøger, hvad der motiverer medlemmer af disse fællesskaber til at forfølge integration, og hvordan de navigerer sociale, kulturelle, økonomiske og politiske barrierer. Med udgangspunkt i et socialkonstruktivistisk perspektiv anvendte vi kvalitativ narrativ metode og gennemførte narrative interviews med syv deltagere fra syv teplantager i Sylhet-divisionen. Vi udførte narrativ tematisk analyse og trak på en integreret teoretisk ramme, der kombinerer Jenkins’ sociale identitet, Ager og Strangs integrationsdomæner, Berrys akkulturation, Appadurais capacity to aspire og globalisering, Honneths anerkendelse samt empowerment-teori. Resultaterne peger på motivationer, der spænder fra personlige aspirationer om stabilitet og social mobilitet til kollektive mål om fællesskabets trivsel. De beskrevne strategier omfatter uddannelse, styrkelse af kompetencer i det dominerende sprog, karriereskift og deltagelse i færdighedsbaserede kurser; engagement i dominerende kulturelle rum, sociale interaktioner og offentlige begivenheder for at opnå anerkendelse; samt fastholdelse af stærke bånd til egen baggrund, samtidig med at sociale bånd, broer og forbindelser opbygges for at løfte fællesskabet. Studiet adresserer en påvist forskningsmæssig mangel og bidrager med empirisk baseret indsigt i veje mod social inklusion for en historisk marginaliseret gruppe i Bangladesh.
Bangladesh’s tea-working communities have long faced social and economic marginalization, yet a growing number of individuals in Sylhet are seeking fuller participation in mainstream society. This thesis examines what motivates members of these communities to pursue integration and how they navigate social, cultural, economic, and political barriers. Guided by a social constructivist perspective, we used a qualitative narrative inquiry and conducted narrative interviews with seven participants from seven tea gardens in the Sylhet division. We applied narrative thematic analysis and drew on an integrated framework combining Jenkins’s social identity, Ager and Strang’s integration domains, Berry’s acculturation, Appadurai’s capacity to aspire and globalization, Honneth’s recognition, and empowerment theory. Findings indicate motivations ranging from personal aspirations for stability and upward mobility to collective goals for community well-being. Reported strategies include pursuing education, improving proficiency in the dominant language, transitioning into new careers, and joining skills-based trainings; engaging in mainstream cultural spaces, social interactions, and public events to gain recognition; and maintaining strong ties to heritage while building social bonds, bridges, and links to uplift their community. The study addresses a noted literature gap and offers empirically grounded insights into pathways toward social inclusion for a historically marginalized group in Bangladesh.
[This abstract was generated with the help of AI]
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