The Self-Rated Prestige Based Social Status of the Peasants in Two Villages of Bangladesh

Abstract

Peasants usually lack financial, social, physical, and human capital in nearly every aspect of their lives. Many parts of the world depict them as a subjugated and low-status group. Many studies have found a correlation between peasants prestige-based social status and their degree of homogeneity as measured by objective class. Nevertheless, the association between objective class and social status may differ according to a persons subjective interpretation of social status. This study examines how peasants perceive their own social status, as well as how their income, land ownership, and educational attainment correlate with prestige-based social status. Two villages in TanoreUpazilaof Rajshahi, Bangladesh were selected as study villages. In this study, quantitative and qualitative data were combined to minimize the weaknesses of each data type and to improve their accuracy and validity. To gain a comprehensive understanding of the research problem, focus groups and pre-tested questionnaire surveys were conducted simultaneously. The results of the study indicate that even though peasants do not possess large farmland, higher income, or higher educational attainment, a significant number of respondents claim to be in the good or very good social status category. According to the survey, approximately 62% of the peasants rated their social status as good (53.70%) and very good (7.70%). A noteworthy finding is that only 3.80% of respondents ranked their social status as bad or very bad. Survey results indicate that 38.40% of respondents claim to be in the middle of the social status spectrum. Income, ownership of farmland, and educational attainment do not represent a strong association with the prestige-based social status of the peasantry. Rather, in settings where peasants cultivate their land, grow their own food, and provide food for others, they regard their occupation as more prestigious. Respondents reported that they scored highly in their occupation because they are not entirely dependent upon the market for their daily needs, especially for food. While there may be a degree of heterogeneity among peasants in terms of income, education, and occupation, they are still referred to as sons of the soil in general. Thus, the peasants appear to be homogenous, and they value their status as well.