Family Structure between Muslim and Santal Communities in Rural Bangladesh
Family structure that is culturally constructed in every
society is the basic unit of social structure. Purpose of the study was
to compare family structure, including marriage, residence, family
size, type, role sharing, authority, and communication patterns
between Muslim and Santal communities in rural Bangladesh. For
this we assumed that family structure with the elements was
significantly different between the two communities in rural
Bangladesh. In so doing, 288 active couples (145 for Muslim and 143
for Santal) selected by cluster random sampling were intensively
interviewed with a semi-structured questionnaire method. The results
of Pearson Chi-Squire Test reveal that there were significant
differences in the family structure followed by the two communities
in the study area. Further cross-cultural study should be done on why
family structure varies between the communities in Bangladesh.
[1] J. R. Eshleman & B. G. Cashion, Sociology: An Introduction. Boston:
Little Brown and Company, 1985, 2nd Edition, PP. 330-331, 276-377.
[2] R. F. Winch, The Modern Family. New York: Hall, Rinehart and Winston,
1974, P.26.
[3] E. W. Burgess & Locke, The Family: From Institution to Companionship.
New York: American Book, 1945, P.8.
[4] W. N. Stephens, The Family Cross-Cultural Perspective. New York: Holt,
Rinehart and Winston, Inc., 1963.
[5] E. D. Dyer, Courtship, Marriage, and Family: American Style. Homehood,
Illinois: The Dorsey Press, 1983, PP.21-22.
[6] R. Sedgwick, Family Mental Health: Theory and Practice, London: The
C.V. Mosby Company, 1981, PP. 18, 61.
[7] G. Hurd, Human societies: An Introduction to Sociology. London:
Routledge and Kegan Paul 1986, Revised Edition.
[8] K. Young & R. W. Mack, Sociology and Social Life. New York: American
Book Company, 1965, 3rd Edition.
[9] Pierre L. Van Den Berghe, Man in Society: A Biosocial View. New York:
Elsevier North Holand Inc., 1978, 2nd Edition.
[10] H. D. Stein & R. A. Cloward, ed., Social Perspectives on Behavior. The
Free Press of Glencoe, 1963.
[11] D. Popenoe, Sociology. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall,
Inc. 1986.
[12] United Nations, Patterns of Urban and Rural Population Growth. New
York, 1980.
[13] G. P. Murdock, Social Structure. New York: Macmillan Publishing
Company, 1960, P. 10.
[14] K. M. A. Aziz, Kinship in Bangladesh. Dhaka: International Centre for
Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, 1979, PP. 49, 59, 60, 69.
[15] C. T. Maloney, "Tribes of Bangladesh and Synthesis of Bengali Culture,"
In Mahmud S. Qureshi (ed.): Tribal Cultures in Bangladesh. Rajshahi:
Institute of Bangladesh Studies, 1984.
[16] C. T. Maloney, K. M. A. Aziz, & P. C. Sarker, Beliefs and Fertility in
Bangladesh. Dacca: International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease
research, Bangladesh, 1981.
[17] P. C. Sarker, Social Structure and Fertility Behavior. Dhaka: Centre for
Development Services, 1997, PP. 12, 23, 53.
[18] M. E. Uddin, Family structure in a village of Bangladesh: A crosscultural
study, Ph. D. dissertation, the Institute of Bangladesh Studies,
Rajshahi: Rajshahi University, Unpublished.
[19] M. S. Qureshi, (ed.), Tribal Cultures in Bangladesh. Rajshahi: Institute of
Bangladesh Studies, 1984.
[20] F. S. Gomes, The Paharias: A Glimpse of Tribal Life in Northern
Bangladesh. Dhaka: Caritas- Bangladesh, 1988.
[21] A. Ali, The Santals of Bangladesh. Calcutta: Shabuge Shangah Press,
1998, PP. 123, 435.
[22] S. Sultana, Kin Relation of the Santal Community and Its Recent
Changes: A Study of Four Villages of the Naogaon District.
Unpublished M. Phil Dissertation, University of Rajshahi.
[23] A. Z. M. Alam Family Values. Dhaka: Bangladesh Cooperative Society
Limited, 1995.
[24] M. E. Uddin, Correlates of Family Cultural Background and Family
Status and Role between Muslim and Santal Communities in Rural
Bangladesh", Antrocom: Online Journal of Anthropology, Vol. 5, No. 1,
pp. 15-27, 2009.
[25] M. E. Uddin, "Cross-Cultural Comparison of Marriage Relationship
between Muslim and Santal Communities in a Village of Bangladesh",
World Cultures eJournal, Vol.17, No.1, Article 3; http:// repositories,
cdlib.org/wc/worldcultures/vol17/iss1/art3, 2009.
[26] M. E. Uddin, "Age at First Marriage for Husband and Wife between
Muslim and Santal Communities in Rural Bangladesh", International
Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, Vol. 3 (1), Winter
(www.waset.org), pp. 31-39, 2009.
[27] M. E. Uddin, "Cross-Cultural Comparison of Family Size and
Composition between Muslim and Santal Communities in Rural
Bangladesh", World Cultures eJournal, Vol.16, No.1, Article 2; http://
repositories, cdlib.org/wc/worldcultures/vol16/iss1/art2, 2008.
[28] M. E. Uddin, "Family Communication Patterns between Muslim and
Santal Communities in Rural Bangladesh: A Cross-Cultural
Perspective", International Journal of Social Sciences, Vol. 3 (3),
Summer (www.waset.org), pp. 207-219, 2008.
[29] M. E. Uddin & M. S. Arefin, "Family Authority Pattern and Gender
Dimension of Birth Control Methods Adoption in the Santal and Oraon
Ethnic Communities in Rural Bangladesh", International Journal of
humanities and Social Sciences, Vol. 1 (4), Fall (www.waset.org), pp.
168-175, 2007.
[30] M. E. Uddin, "Marital Duration and Sexual Frequency among the
Muslim and Santal Couples in Rural Bangladesh: A Cross-Cultural
Perspective", International Journal of humanities and Social Sciences,
Vol. 1 (4), Fall (www.waset.org), pp. 182-191, 2007.
[31] A. G. Johnson, Human Arrangements: An Introduction to Sociology.
New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Publishers, 1989, 2nd edition.
[32] S. Kayes, Cultural change of Santal community of Rajshahi district: An
anthropological study", M. Phil Dissertation, The Institute of
Bangladesh Studies, Rajshahi: University of Rajshahi, Unpublished.
[33] C. E. Ember & M. Ember, Anthropology. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey:
Prentice-Hall, Inc, 1981, pp. 353-354, 3rd edition.
[34] M. S. Gore, Urbanization and Family Change, Bombay: Popular
Prakashan, 1968.
[35] K. K. Gill, Population Growth, Family Size and Economic Development,
New Delhi: Deep and Deep Publications, 1995.
[36] S. N. Mitra & G. M. Kamal, Bangladesh Contraceptive Prevalence
Survey-1983. Dhaka: Mitra and Associates, 1985.
[37] S. N. Mitra, et al., Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey-1993-
1994. Dhaka: Mitra and Associates, 1994.
[38] Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, Statistical Yearbook of Bangladesh,
Dhaka: Statistics Division, Ministry of Planning, and Government of the
People's Republic of Bangladesh, 1991.
[39] M. S. Mashreque, "The traditional village family in Bangladesh: An
anthropological survey," The Journal of BARD, Vol. xiii, No.1/2, 1983,
July and 1984, January.
[40] M. Mizanuddin, "The nature of family life and kinship networks in
selected bastees," Rajshahi University Studies, Vol.4, Part-C, 1996.
[41] M. A. R. Siddiquee, The Nature of Participation of Marginal Community
in Politics: An Analysis of Santal Tribe, Unpublished Ph. D.
Dissertation, University of Rajshahi.
[42] D. M. Wolfe, "Power and authority in the family", In D. Cartwright (ed.),
Studies in Social Power. The University of Michigan Press, 1959.
[43] R. E. Cromwell & D. H. Olson ed., Power in Families. SAGE
Publications, 1975.
[44] J. M. Meadowcroft, "Family communication patterns and political
development: The child role", Communication Research, vol. 13, no. 4,
pp. 603-624, 1986.
[45] L. D. Ritche & M. A. Fitzpatrick, "Family communication patterns:
Measuring interpersonal perceptions of interpersonal relationships",
Communication Research, vol. 17, pp. 523-544, 1990.
[46] R. Sedgwick, Family Mental Health: Theory and Practice. London: The
C. V. Mosby Company, 1981, p. 61.
[47] M. Harris, Culture, People, Nature: An Introduction to General
Anthropology. New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 1993, 6th Edition.
[48] Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, Statistical Yearbook of Bangladesh.
Ministry of Planning, Government of the People-s Republic of
Bangladesh, Dhaka: Statistics Division, 2001.
[49] United Nations, Patterns of First Marriage: Timing and Prevalence. New
York, 1990.
[50] M. S. Naher, "Marriage pattern: Customs and changes in rural
Bangladesh", Journal of Social Studies, vol. 10, no. 30, pp. 34-45, 1985.
[51] S. M. Z. Rahaman, Kinship organization in a village in Bangladesh.
Unpublished Ph. D. Dissertation, Delhi: University of Delhi, 1990, p.
135.
[52] S. M. Z. Rahaman, "Muslim marriage practices in a village of
Bangladesh", Rajshahi University Studies, Part-C, Vol. 3, pp. 131-149,
1995.
[53] S. Bharat, Family Measurement in India. New Delhi: Sage Publications
Pvt Ltd, 1996.
[54] R. W. Brislin, "Translation and content analysis of oral and written
materials", in H. C. Triandis and J. W. Berry (ed.), Handbook of Cross-
Cultural Psychology, Methodology (Vol.2). Boston: Allyn and Bacon,
Inc, 1980, pp. 408-410.
[1] J. R. Eshleman & B. G. Cashion, Sociology: An Introduction. Boston:
Little Brown and Company, 1985, 2nd Edition, PP. 330-331, 276-377.
[2] R. F. Winch, The Modern Family. New York: Hall, Rinehart and Winston,
1974, P.26.
[3] E. W. Burgess & Locke, The Family: From Institution to Companionship.
New York: American Book, 1945, P.8.
[4] W. N. Stephens, The Family Cross-Cultural Perspective. New York: Holt,
Rinehart and Winston, Inc., 1963.
[5] E. D. Dyer, Courtship, Marriage, and Family: American Style. Homehood,
Illinois: The Dorsey Press, 1983, PP.21-22.
[6] R. Sedgwick, Family Mental Health: Theory and Practice, London: The
C.V. Mosby Company, 1981, PP. 18, 61.
[7] G. Hurd, Human societies: An Introduction to Sociology. London:
Routledge and Kegan Paul 1986, Revised Edition.
[8] K. Young & R. W. Mack, Sociology and Social Life. New York: American
Book Company, 1965, 3rd Edition.
[9] Pierre L. Van Den Berghe, Man in Society: A Biosocial View. New York:
Elsevier North Holand Inc., 1978, 2nd Edition.
[10] H. D. Stein & R. A. Cloward, ed., Social Perspectives on Behavior. The
Free Press of Glencoe, 1963.
[11] D. Popenoe, Sociology. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall,
Inc. 1986.
[12] United Nations, Patterns of Urban and Rural Population Growth. New
York, 1980.
[13] G. P. Murdock, Social Structure. New York: Macmillan Publishing
Company, 1960, P. 10.
[14] K. M. A. Aziz, Kinship in Bangladesh. Dhaka: International Centre for
Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, 1979, PP. 49, 59, 60, 69.
[15] C. T. Maloney, "Tribes of Bangladesh and Synthesis of Bengali Culture,"
In Mahmud S. Qureshi (ed.): Tribal Cultures in Bangladesh. Rajshahi:
Institute of Bangladesh Studies, 1984.
[16] C. T. Maloney, K. M. A. Aziz, & P. C. Sarker, Beliefs and Fertility in
Bangladesh. Dacca: International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease
research, Bangladesh, 1981.
[17] P. C. Sarker, Social Structure and Fertility Behavior. Dhaka: Centre for
Development Services, 1997, PP. 12, 23, 53.
[18] M. E. Uddin, Family structure in a village of Bangladesh: A crosscultural
study, Ph. D. dissertation, the Institute of Bangladesh Studies,
Rajshahi: Rajshahi University, Unpublished.
[19] M. S. Qureshi, (ed.), Tribal Cultures in Bangladesh. Rajshahi: Institute of
Bangladesh Studies, 1984.
[20] F. S. Gomes, The Paharias: A Glimpse of Tribal Life in Northern
Bangladesh. Dhaka: Caritas- Bangladesh, 1988.
[21] A. Ali, The Santals of Bangladesh. Calcutta: Shabuge Shangah Press,
1998, PP. 123, 435.
[22] S. Sultana, Kin Relation of the Santal Community and Its Recent
Changes: A Study of Four Villages of the Naogaon District.
Unpublished M. Phil Dissertation, University of Rajshahi.
[23] A. Z. M. Alam Family Values. Dhaka: Bangladesh Cooperative Society
Limited, 1995.
[24] M. E. Uddin, Correlates of Family Cultural Background and Family
Status and Role between Muslim and Santal Communities in Rural
Bangladesh", Antrocom: Online Journal of Anthropology, Vol. 5, No. 1,
pp. 15-27, 2009.
[25] M. E. Uddin, "Cross-Cultural Comparison of Marriage Relationship
between Muslim and Santal Communities in a Village of Bangladesh",
World Cultures eJournal, Vol.17, No.1, Article 3; http:// repositories,
cdlib.org/wc/worldcultures/vol17/iss1/art3, 2009.
[26] M. E. Uddin, "Age at First Marriage for Husband and Wife between
Muslim and Santal Communities in Rural Bangladesh", International
Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, Vol. 3 (1), Winter
(www.waset.org), pp. 31-39, 2009.
[27] M. E. Uddin, "Cross-Cultural Comparison of Family Size and
Composition between Muslim and Santal Communities in Rural
Bangladesh", World Cultures eJournal, Vol.16, No.1, Article 2; http://
repositories, cdlib.org/wc/worldcultures/vol16/iss1/art2, 2008.
[28] M. E. Uddin, "Family Communication Patterns between Muslim and
Santal Communities in Rural Bangladesh: A Cross-Cultural
Perspective", International Journal of Social Sciences, Vol. 3 (3),
Summer (www.waset.org), pp. 207-219, 2008.
[29] M. E. Uddin & M. S. Arefin, "Family Authority Pattern and Gender
Dimension of Birth Control Methods Adoption in the Santal and Oraon
Ethnic Communities in Rural Bangladesh", International Journal of
humanities and Social Sciences, Vol. 1 (4), Fall (www.waset.org), pp.
168-175, 2007.
[30] M. E. Uddin, "Marital Duration and Sexual Frequency among the
Muslim and Santal Couples in Rural Bangladesh: A Cross-Cultural
Perspective", International Journal of humanities and Social Sciences,
Vol. 1 (4), Fall (www.waset.org), pp. 182-191, 2007.
[31] A. G. Johnson, Human Arrangements: An Introduction to Sociology.
New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Publishers, 1989, 2nd edition.
[32] S. Kayes, Cultural change of Santal community of Rajshahi district: An
anthropological study", M. Phil Dissertation, The Institute of
Bangladesh Studies, Rajshahi: University of Rajshahi, Unpublished.
[33] C. E. Ember & M. Ember, Anthropology. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey:
Prentice-Hall, Inc, 1981, pp. 353-354, 3rd edition.
[34] M. S. Gore, Urbanization and Family Change, Bombay: Popular
Prakashan, 1968.
[35] K. K. Gill, Population Growth, Family Size and Economic Development,
New Delhi: Deep and Deep Publications, 1995.
[36] S. N. Mitra & G. M. Kamal, Bangladesh Contraceptive Prevalence
Survey-1983. Dhaka: Mitra and Associates, 1985.
[37] S. N. Mitra, et al., Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey-1993-
1994. Dhaka: Mitra and Associates, 1994.
[38] Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, Statistical Yearbook of Bangladesh,
Dhaka: Statistics Division, Ministry of Planning, and Government of the
People's Republic of Bangladesh, 1991.
[39] M. S. Mashreque, "The traditional village family in Bangladesh: An
anthropological survey," The Journal of BARD, Vol. xiii, No.1/2, 1983,
July and 1984, January.
[40] M. Mizanuddin, "The nature of family life and kinship networks in
selected bastees," Rajshahi University Studies, Vol.4, Part-C, 1996.
[41] M. A. R. Siddiquee, The Nature of Participation of Marginal Community
in Politics: An Analysis of Santal Tribe, Unpublished Ph. D.
Dissertation, University of Rajshahi.
[42] D. M. Wolfe, "Power and authority in the family", In D. Cartwright (ed.),
Studies in Social Power. The University of Michigan Press, 1959.
[43] R. E. Cromwell & D. H. Olson ed., Power in Families. SAGE
Publications, 1975.
[44] J. M. Meadowcroft, "Family communication patterns and political
development: The child role", Communication Research, vol. 13, no. 4,
pp. 603-624, 1986.
[45] L. D. Ritche & M. A. Fitzpatrick, "Family communication patterns:
Measuring interpersonal perceptions of interpersonal relationships",
Communication Research, vol. 17, pp. 523-544, 1990.
[46] R. Sedgwick, Family Mental Health: Theory and Practice. London: The
C. V. Mosby Company, 1981, p. 61.
[47] M. Harris, Culture, People, Nature: An Introduction to General
Anthropology. New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 1993, 6th Edition.
[48] Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, Statistical Yearbook of Bangladesh.
Ministry of Planning, Government of the People-s Republic of
Bangladesh, Dhaka: Statistics Division, 2001.
[49] United Nations, Patterns of First Marriage: Timing and Prevalence. New
York, 1990.
[50] M. S. Naher, "Marriage pattern: Customs and changes in rural
Bangladesh", Journal of Social Studies, vol. 10, no. 30, pp. 34-45, 1985.
[51] S. M. Z. Rahaman, Kinship organization in a village in Bangladesh.
Unpublished Ph. D. Dissertation, Delhi: University of Delhi, 1990, p.
135.
[52] S. M. Z. Rahaman, "Muslim marriage practices in a village of
Bangladesh", Rajshahi University Studies, Part-C, Vol. 3, pp. 131-149,
1995.
[53] S. Bharat, Family Measurement in India. New Delhi: Sage Publications
Pvt Ltd, 1996.
[54] R. W. Brislin, "Translation and content analysis of oral and written
materials", in H. C. Triandis and J. W. Berry (ed.), Handbook of Cross-
Cultural Psychology, Methodology (Vol.2). Boston: Allyn and Bacon,
Inc, 1980, pp. 408-410.
@article{"International Journal of Business, Human and Social Sciences:52092", author = "Md. Emaj Uddin", title = "Family Structure between Muslim and Santal Communities in Rural Bangladesh", abstract = "Family structure that is culturally constructed in every
society is the basic unit of social structure. Purpose of the study was
to compare family structure, including marriage, residence, family
size, type, role sharing, authority, and communication patterns
between Muslim and Santal communities in rural Bangladesh. For
this we assumed that family structure with the elements was
significantly different between the two communities in rural
Bangladesh. In so doing, 288 active couples (145 for Muslim and 143
for Santal) selected by cluster random sampling were intensively
interviewed with a semi-structured questionnaire method. The results
of Pearson Chi-Squire Test reveal that there were significant
differences in the family structure followed by the two communities
in the study area. Further cross-cultural study should be done on why
family structure varies between the communities in Bangladesh.", keywords = "Bangladesh, Cross-Cultural Comparison, Family
Structure, Muslim, Santal.", volume = "3", number = "7", pages = "1419-10", }
