Title: Education, Inequality, and Social Meaning: A Qualitative Sociological Exploration of Secondary Schooling in Bangladesh within Global Contexts
Authors: Md. Monayem Khan
Mohammed Iftikhar Hassan Khan
Mongil Molla
Volume: 9
Issue: 12
Pages: 7-27
Publication Date: 2025/12/28
Abstract:
Education in Bangladesh stands at a crossroads-serving as both a ladder of opportunity and a mirror of inequality. This qualitative sociological study explores how educational experiences, perceptions, and institutional realities in Bangladeshi secondary schools are shaped by the interlocking forces of socioeconomic class, gender, regional disparity, and linguistic hierarchy. Drawing mostly upon Bourdieu's concept of cultural capital and Freire's emancipatory pedagogy, the research investigates how education functions simultaneously as a means of empowerment and as an instrument of social reproduction. Data were gathered through interviews from 45 participants across rural and urban schools in Bangladesh. Findings reveal that students from affluent families enjoy broader educational exposure and greater English proficiency, while those from marginalized backgrounds encounter resource scarcity, gender bias, and systemic neglect. Teachers perceive education as both a moral calling and a constrained enterprise, burdened by infrastructural and policy limitations. English, moreover, emerges as a double-edged sword-serving as a gateway to mobility but also as a marker of privilege. Institutional reforms, though well-intentioned, often fail to bridge the gap between rhetoric and reality due to uneven implementation. The study highlights the need for equity-driven policy, teacher empowerment, and culturally responsive pedagogy that align education with the lived experiences of learners. By placing Bangladesh within global debates on educational justice, this research underscores that true reform must go beyond statistics-it must touch the human spirit and social conscience.