No abstract

The purpose of this study was to compare family structure patterns among Muslim, Hindu, Santal, and Oraon communities in rural Bangladesh. For this we hypothesized that family structure patterns-marriage, family type and size, residence, role sharing, authority, communication, and property distribution-were not only significantly different but that these patterns of the family structure were also significantly interrelated among the ethnic communities in rural Bangladesh. In so doing 585 males of the ethnic communities selected by cluster random sampling were intensively interviewed with a semi-structural questionnaire in Rasulpur of Bangladesh. Results of Pearson chi-square testing suggest that the family structure patterns were significantly varied. The results of Spearman bivariate correlation coefficients also suggest that the family structure patterns were significantly interrelated among the communities in rural Bangladesh. Further cross-cultural research should be conducted on why and how family structure patterns are significantly different among the communities in Bangladesh.

Arrack, indigenously fermented from palm and date juice, is locally known as tari and commonly consumed by socio-culturally lower economic groups of all communities in northwestern villages of Bangladesh. This study examines and compares gender dimensions of arrack drinking pattern in association with respective community religiosity, and socio-cultural and gender statuses among the Muslims, Hindu, Santal, and Oraon drinkers in the Mongaltara, Akkelpur, Sherpur, and Ekrapara villages of Rasulpur Union of Bangladesh. A total of 391 respondents (Muslim, n = 109, Hindu, n = 103, Santal, n = 89, and Oraon, n = 90) with males and females selected by simple random sampling were intensively interviewed singly by semi-structured questionnaire. The results reveal that there are differences in arrack drinking patterns not only in gender norms, but also among the overall communities. It is argued that a respective community's religiosity, gender norms, and drinker's personality and attitude, and socio-cultural pressure and stress directly influence arrack drinking patterns.

Purpose -Social structural and cultural theories suggest that social stress induced from socio-cultural status patterns varies across the world's cultures. The purpose of the study is to compare subjective social stress in connection with objective socio-cultural status patterns among Muslim, Hindu, Santal and Oraon communities in Rasulpur of Bangladesh. Design/methodology/approach -This study was conducted in Rasulpur, Bangladesh. Preliminarily, 760 male arrack drinkers who were stressful in their socio-cultural status patterns were selected by snowball process from the study area. Of the respondents, 391 arrack drinkers (109 Muslim, 103 Hindu, 89 Santal and 90 Oraon) were intensively interviewed by semi-structural questionnaire to examine and compare the research purpose. Findings -The results of Pearson's x 2 test suggested that there were significant differences ( p , 0.01) in subjective social stress in connection with socio-cultural status patterns, except income among the communities, among the ethnic communities. The results of Spearman bivariate correlation coefficients revealed that there were significant relationships ( p , 0.01 and p , 0.05) between socio-cultural status patterns and its social stress, except occupation and income among the communities studied. Research limitations/implications -Although the findings of the study have been successful in understanding differences in social stress in the context of socio-cultural status patterns among the Muslim, Hindu, Santal and Oraon communities in Rasulpur, Bangladesh, further empirical research is needed on how personality factor, familial and community coping and social support from social service system influence the differences in subjective social stress associated with socio-cultural status patterns among the communities. In spite of the limitations, the findings may provide valuable information for cross-cultural social health policy and programs to manage the problem. Originality/value -This paper is original in linking its theory, policy and practice to reduce subjective social stress in the context of socio-cultural variations among the Muslim, Hindu, Santal and Oraon communities in Bangladesh.

Purpose – Family socio-cultural values and its practices have pervasive effects on early age at first marriage in every society. The purpose of this paper is to examine and compare how family socio-cultural values and its practices exert effect on early age at first marriage between Muslim and Santal couples in rural Bangladesh. Design/methodology/approach – First of all through snow-ball process and checking of marriage documents the author carefully identified 598 couples from Muslim and 560 from Santal who were married the first time between 1995 and 2005 years and whose age range was 12-48 years for husbands and 10-45 years for wives. Then, 585 pairs of couples (295 for Muslim and 290 for Santal) were randomly selected from the Talonda of Rajshahi district, Bangladesh. Data were collected, applying interview method with semi-structural questionnaire in family setting. Then the collected data were analyzed, using χ2 test and binary logistic regression (BLR) technique. Findings – The frequency distribution showed that most of the Santal couples compared to the Muslim ones were married before the minimum legal age in Bangladesh. The results of χ2 test of the frequency distribution were significant at p<0.01 and p<0.05 level. In addition, results of BLR analysis suggested that early age at first marriage was significantly (p<0.01 and p<0.05) associated with family socio-cultural values studied. It is argued that ethnicity, family pattern, residence pattern, illiteracy and ascriptive occupational status were the risk factors to persist early marriage among the Santal couples than the Muslim ones in rural Bangladesh. Practical implications – Although the findings are suggestive to understand differences in early marriage associated with family socio-cultural values between the ethnic couples, further cross-cultural study should be conducted on how socio-psychological factors affect early marriage between the ethnic groups. In spite of the limitations these findings may have implications in comparative social policy practice to prevent early marriage associated with changes in family socio-cultural values between the ethnic groups in Bangladesh. Originality/value – The findings in the paper are original in linking between family socio-cultural theory, its related policy and practice to prevent early marriage between the ethnic couples in Bangladesh.