Impact of Development on Socio-economic Structures in Zandra (Ziarat) Balochistan

Abstract

This thesis intends to understand the cultural perception of development and its impact on the socio-economic structures including economy, education and health in the province of Balochistan, Pakistan. The main focus of this study was to understand the nature of development, internal and external factors responsible for the changes and the actual beneficiaries of the development. The research was conducted in Zandra village of district Ziarat in the province of Balochistan. World system theory was used to map the developmental process. Anthropological research techniques were used to collect data for the thesis. The fieldwork for this research was conducted in 2006-07.

First chapter of the thesis explains the research problem, operationalization of the concepts, research methodology and the theoretical framework. Second chapter deals with the literature on several issues such as anthropological theories and methodological issues, anthropology of development, economic anthropology, education, medical anthropology and anthropology of knowledge and power. Third chapter is about the village profile which includes brief history of the area, geographical environment, and the development taken place during the last three decades. Fourth chapter is about the social organization of the village which includes the information regarding the tribal segments and their interaction code of conduct and conflict resolution. Chapter five and six deal with the change in the economic structures. Chapter seven is about the development in education sector. Chapter eight and nine are about health care systems. Analysis of the data has been given in the end of every chapter starting from chapter 5.

Since the middle of 20th century, the village economy was mainly based on horticulture with apple economy as the main source of income, but over the years the population has outgrown the farming resources. Landholdings have reduced and hence the majority has taken up other non-agricultural activities like different businesses and employment in public and private sector to earn additional income. In order to further supplement domestic income, the women folk have also started working. With the introduction of new 2

technology their labour and work style also changed. During the last 3 decades the subsistence economy has changed into market/cash economy which has brought the people towards the consumer products. The ultimate beneficiary of this change remains the capitalist industry of the core countries for being producer of all these products.

Parents are more concerned about their children’s education as majority of them can now afford it. The attitudes regarding the gender discrimination in the field of education has also changed. Initially the main reason for not sending their daughters to schools was purdah but now more of the economic reasons were reported. People belonging to the lower income group are motivated towards education to get an additional source of income in future. People have started migrating to urban areas to provide better educational facilities to their children due to which joint families are breaking up into nuclear families.

As industry was established and developed, the need of mass schooling was felt. As a result knowledge spread rapidly, the pace of social change increased and many new economic roles were created. After getting education the people abandon their traditional way of life and move towards technology. They often try to find job, implying that in one way or the other, they are serving the industry. Ultimately education is producing the skilled labour for industry. The migration from villages to cities proves beneficial for the industry because the industrialist can have cheap labour. By having extra workforce available in the market, they can easily exploit the poor villagers offering them low remuneration. Some of the industrialists enjoy this situation as the workforce belonging to rural areas does not have awareness of its rights. This situation does not prevail for a long time as the fork force becomes aware of their rights with the passage of time but until then the capitalist industrialist are benefited.

The pluralistic healer environment was prevailing in the village with a wide variety of health practitioners including pir, shrines, hakeems, dais, chemists, public and private doctors and health facilities. The perceptions and practices 3

of the natives were influenced by the centuries old influence of Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam and traditional medical system. From last three decades the allopathic treatment is getting popular among the young generation. A large population (65%) of the young respondents use allopathic mode of treatment by self-medication and consulting doctor, whereas it was just 24% among the senior citizens. Utilization of allopathic mode of treatment is getting popular due to certain reasons which include availability of doctors and other health facilities, improved literacy levels and economic conditions, awareness through media and introduction of chronic diseases. This transition from traditional to modern medicine is beneficial for core countries as it creates new markets for their pharmaceutical industry. It becomes a source of profit on one hand and provides a better control on labour on the other.

This study concludes that the core countries have an interest in the growth of the peripheral countries, because such a growth increases demand for the goods produced by the capitalist industry. This, in turn, will promote growth in the core countries. The reverse is also postulated to apply, that is the peripheral countries can sell more of their products in the core countries when the economies in these countries grow. The main point here is that it is not only the peripheral countries that depend upon the core countries, the core countries are in many areas dependent on products from the periphery. So interdependence exists, for peripheral regions it is for finished products and for first world it is for raw materials and human resource. Consumer products used in peripheral countries become a source of profit and inexpensive raw material and cheap lobour provide them savings. So the