Mohammed Abdul Baten

MOHAMMED BATEN, then a graduate student at University of Maine, Orono, Maine, was awarded a grant in October 2023 to aid research on “The Entanglement of Institutions, Market, and Livelihood: Governing the Sundarbans Mangrove in Neoliberal Assemblages,” supervised by Dr. Christine M. Beitl. This dissertation research project aims to understand the impact of neoliberal ideologies on various aspects of political, social, economic, and cultural elements, influencing institutions and decision-making processes related to natural resource governance. The study employs a multi-sited ethnographic approach focused on the Sundarbans mangrove in Bangladesh to examine how neoliberal ideologies shape institutions and decision-making in the governance of mangrove forests. Data were collected through participant observations, qualitative interviews, surveys, and focus group discussions to explore research questions: How do various institutions influence the current governance of the Sundarbans, embedded in neoliberal assemblages at multiple levels? How do neoliberalization and associated market forces shape trust, reciprocity, and cooperation to influence decision-making processes in commons governance?