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Embodying Facts, Figures, and Faiths in Narrative Artistic Performances in Rural Bangladesh

Sharifa Sultana, Zinnat Sultana, Jeffrey M. Rzeszotarski, Syed Ishtiaque Ahmed

Abstract

There is an increasing interest in telling serious stories with data. Designers organize information, construct narratives, and present findings to inform audiences. However, many of these practices emerge from modern information visualization rhetoric and ethical frameworks which may marginalize communities with low digital and media literacy. In a ten-month-long ethnographic study in three Bangladeshi villages, we investigated how these communities use entertainment and cultural practices, namely Puthi, Bhandari Gaan, and Pot music, to instruct, communicate traditional moral lessons and recall history. We found that these communities embrace polyvocality and multiple ethical frameworks in their performances, construct narratives combining factuality, emotionality, and aesthetics, and adapt their performances to changing technology and audience needs. Our findings provide HCI, visualization, and ethical data practitioners with implications for the design of accessible and culturally appropriate ways of presenting data narratives in data-driven systems.

Embodying Facts, Figures, and Faiths in Narrative Artistic Performances in Rural Bangladesh

Abstract

There is an increasing interest in telling serious stories with data. Designers organize information, construct narratives, and present findings to inform audiences. However, many of these practices emerge from modern information visualization rhetoric and ethical frameworks which may marginalize communities with low digital and media literacy. In a ten-month-long ethnographic study in three Bangladeshi villages, we investigated how these communities use entertainment and cultural practices, namely Puthi, Bhandari Gaan, and Pot music, to instruct, communicate traditional moral lessons and recall history. We found that these communities embrace polyvocality and multiple ethical frameworks in their performances, construct narratives combining factuality, emotionality, and aesthetics, and adapt their performances to changing technology and audience needs. Our findings provide HCI, visualization, and ethical data practitioners with implications for the design of accessible and culturally appropriate ways of presenting data narratives in data-driven systems.
Paper Structure (38 sections, 6 figures, 1 table)

This paper contains 38 sections, 6 figures, 1 table.

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Related Work
  3. Record-keeping, Preservation, and HCI
  4. Visual Storytelling
  5. Factuality, Emotion, and Aesthetics in Data Narrative
  6. Methods
  7. Access to the participants
  8. Observation
  9. Focus Group Discussion (FGD)
  10. One-on-one Interviews
  11. Data Collection and Analysis
  12. Traditional Cultural Practices in Rural Jashore
  13. Case-1: Puthi Gaan
  14. Performers
  15. Language, Contents, and Themes
  16. ...and 23 more sections

Figures (6)

  • Figure 1: (a) A Puthi-Pathok is sitting on the Pati (rural sitting arrangement on the floor) and reciting the Puthi, (b) Hajak-lantern used for Puthi performance, (c) Hurricane Lantern used for Puthi performance, and (d) An example excerpt from the Puthi-book that the Puthi-Pathok was reciting. During a Puthi session, the performer would first recite the Puthi in its actual language at the top, then clarify the major word meanings following the bottom part, and then explain the takeaways.
  • Figure 2: (a) The rural Bhandari music festival is taking place under a locally renowned Banyan tree, where people from different religions have gathered to enjoy the show, (b) One of the Bhandari teams -- the person in the red outfit in the middle is the leader. Such groups frequently include women performers, (c) Agar Batti (an incense that releases fragrant smoke when burnt) in clay pots in preparation for the performance, and (d) A performer showing off his outfit and explaining the symbolic meanings of the components.
  • Figure 3: (a) The process of preparing a Pot tale scroll polyptych, the person in the image is drawing the chunks first to glue them together on a scroll later, (b) an example scroll after the sections are glued together, and (c) the Pot tale performer is explaining each chunk of the Pot to the ethnographer through a sample performance.
  • Figure 4: (a) When the tiger attacked the person in the blue shirt, he was able to escape as it shows he could cross the border of that sub-pot, (b) the person in the blue shirt on the bottom sub-pot had Goddess Laxmi's blessings with him from the top sub-pot, as the foot of the Goddess crossed the border of the sub-pot, (c) and (d) floral marks with specific meanings, (e) the person in red shirt on the top sub-pot could not escape the tiger's attack, and person in the blue-shirt on the bottom sub-pot is collecting his head, and (f) and (g) floral marks with specific meanings.
  • Figure 5: (a) Two Bhandari performers wore outfits that signified their narratives in their upcoming performances, (b) A performer wearing necklaces indicating (b1) God Krishna and Goddess Radha, and (b2) an amulet, (c) another performer wore jewelry of different colors in their fingers (c1 and c2) and neck (c3), (d) Hindu religious scriptures and symbols on a curtain that is going to be used as a background of performance for spiritual ambiance.
  • ...and 1 more figures