Papers by Amm Quamruzzaman
Sociological Explanations of Violent Crime in the United States: Toward a Macro-Micro Integration
Social Science Research Network, 2009
ABSTRACT In order to sociologically understand crime in general and violent crime in particular, ... more ABSTRACT In order to sociologically understand crime in general and violent crime in particular, we need to account for both the individual criminal behavior as well as the broader social context in which the crime takes place. This article proposes an integration of macro- and micro-level theories to better understand the complexity of violent crime, especially in the US. This integrated model has tried to entail the identification and reconciliation of contradictions in the logic of the individual theories to overcome the weaknesses each of them has. From available studies on the topic, this paper tries to substantiate the integrated model with empirical supports.
The Militia Ideology in Bangladesh
Social Science Research Network, 2010
ABSTRACT Bangladesh, a poor and small country in South Asia, was separated from Pakistan in 1971 ... more ABSTRACT Bangladesh, a poor and small country in South Asia, was separated from Pakistan in 1971 following a nine-month long violent war. Replacing the religious basis of Pakistan state, Bangladesh movement was advanced by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his party Awami League on the basis of secularism, Bengali nationalism, democracy, and socialism. But soon Mujib's secularism was challenged by Islamist militias, Bengali nationalism by non-Bengali ethnic militias, and socialism by left-wing militias. Being puzzled and disturbed by many-sided attacks, Mujib declared a one-party dictatorship as a 'second revolution' to curb the biting forces and rebuild the nation, which ultimately culminated into his assassination in August 1975. The subsequent periods in Bangladesh history are marked with coups and counter coups, military dictatorships, political and civil assassinations as well as resistance movements. The Islamist militias again started fighting for establishing an Islamic rule in the country, ethnic militias for their rights of self-determination and preservation of identity, and left-wing militias for a revolutionary transformation of the society. Encountering these Islamist, ethnic and left-wing militias, Bangladesh's democracy is as if moving one step forward and two steps back. This paper traces various militia ideologies in Bangladesh to understand the issues concerning rebellion and resistance.
Graveyards and Urbanization: The Case of Dhaka City
Social Science Research Network, 2009
... In the next mausoleum there are two tombs belonging to Syed Mohammed Yousuf Ahl-e-Qalam (Ahl-... more ... In the next mausoleum there are two tombs belonging to Syed Mohammed Yousuf Ahl-e-Qalam (Ahl-e-Ilm's second son) and his wife Ayesha Banu. About a mile from this place ... Other important tombs of this period are those of Chisti Behesti, Khwaja Shahbaz, Begam Bibi and ...
Are tuition-free primary education policies associated with lower infant and neonatal mortality in low- and middle-income countries?
Social Science & Medicine, Nov 1, 2014
Robust evidence from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) suggests that maternal education is... more Robust evidence from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) suggests that maternal education is associated with better child health outcomes. However, whether or not policies aimed at increasing access to education, including tuition-free education policies, contribute to lower infant and neonatal mortality has not been empirically tested. We joined country-level data on national education policies for 37 LMICs to information on live births to young mothers aged 15-21 years, who were surveyed as part of the population-based Demographic and Health Surveys. We used propensity scores to match births to mothers who were exposed to a tuition-free primary education policy with births to mothers who were not, based on individual-level, household, and country-level characteristics, including GDP per capita, urbanization, and health expenditures per capita. Multilevel logistic regression models, fitted using generalized estimating equations, were used to estimate the effect of exposure to tuition-free primary education policies on the risk of infant and neonatal mortality. We also tested whether this effect was modified by household socioeconomic status. The propensity score matched samples for analyses of infant and neonatal mortality comprised 24,396 and 36,030 births, respectively, from 23 countries. Multilevel regression analyses showed that, on average, exposure to a tuition-free education policy was associated with 15 (95% CI=-32, 1) fewer infant and 5 (95% CI=-13, 4) fewer neonatal deaths per 1000 live births. We found no strong evidence of heterogeneity of this effect by socioeconomic level.
Social Science & Medicine, Dec 1, 2016
This article explores the impact of female political representation in national parliaments on ch... more This article explores the impact of female political representation in national parliaments on child health through a multilevel analysis. Using available Demographic and Health Surveys, we employ both cross-sectional data for 51 low-and middle-income countries and longitudinal data for 20 countries with multiple surveys. For both the cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses, female representation is negatively related to infant mortality and positively related to measles vaccination status. To explore potential mechanisms, we control for state spending on health and analyze whether the impact of female representation depends on a critical mass of female representatives. The analysis offers evidence that state spending accounts for some of the mediation effect and that the impact of female representation on infant death depends on a critical mass.
The pursuit of happiness is viewed as an inalienable right by most Americans, but the government ... more The pursuit of happiness is viewed as an inalienable right by most Americans, but the government of the United States does not ensure that the right is equally enjoyed by all its citizens. There is significant difference in the distribution of happiness among different aggregates of American people. Using General Social Survey (GSS) 1998 data, this paper analyzes which aggregates of American people are reported to be ahead in the distribution of happiness. Previous happiness research has so far analyzed the effects of various determinants on happiness but few researchers have tried to show how these effects vary among different aggregates of people characterized in terms of major determinants such as socioeconomic status, health status, marital status, household type, religious participation and denominations, political and world views, age, gender, and race. This study tries to fill this gap. To adopt sound public policy aimed at enhancing the levels of collective happiness, it is important to know about the aggregate difference in the distribution of happiness.
In the post-9/11 world, Bangladesh has been identified as a new hub of the Al-Qaeda network in So... more In the post-9/11 world, Bangladesh has been identified as a new hub of the Al-Qaeda network in South Asia. Most of the contemporary national and international media reports, security documents, and even academic studies point to the fact that an Islamist movement is on the dramatic rise in Bangladesh in recent years. These reports and studies portray the Islamist movement as closely linked with terrorism and devoid of any historical roots and relations with other types of movement. Contrary to this view, this study argues that the Islamist movement is not an unprecedented phenomenon but historically linked with a broader militia movement which subsequently leads to the emergence of Bangladesh as a nation state in 1971. Since its inception, the nation state is dealing not only with the Islamist movement but also with two other types of militia movement almost simultaneously-the leftwing and the ethnic. Having identified these three types, this study defines the militia movement in terms of five analytical categoriesideology, motivation, mobilization, organization, and ritual-following Freilich and others. It analyzes the Bangladesh militia movement in terms of these five dimensions, providing historical-empirical data from both primary and secondary sources to show how the contemporary militias are carrying forward the legacy of their historical forerunners. This study concludes with policy recommendations on how informed decisions can be made to effectively deal with the militia issue.
In the post-9/11 world, Bangladesh has been identified as a new hub of the Al-Qaeda network in So... more In the post-9/11 world, Bangladesh has been identified as a new hub of the Al-Qaeda network in South Asia. Most of the contemporary national and international media reports, security documents, and even academic studies point to the fact that an Islamist movement is on the dramatic rise in Bangladesh in recent years. These reports and studies portray the Islamist movement as closely linked with terrorism and devoid of any historical roots and relations with other types of movement. Contrary to this view, this study argues that the Islamist movement is not an unprecedented phenomenon but historically linked with a broader militia movement which subsequently leads to the emergence of Bangladesh as a nation state in 1971. Since its inception, the nation state is dealing not only with the Islamist movement but also with two other types of militia movement almost simultaneously-the leftwing and the ethnic. Having identified these three types, this study defines the militia movement in terms of five analytical categoriesideology, motivation, mobilization, organization, and ritual-following Freilich and others. It analyzes the Bangladesh militia movement in terms of these five dimensions, providing historical-empirical data from both primary and secondary sources to show how the contemporary militias are carrying forward the legacy of their historical forerunners. This study concludes with policy recommendations on how informed decisions can be made to effectively deal with the militia issue.
Sociology of development, 2017
Although the positive developmental effects of infrastructure provisioning are well documented, r... more Although the positive developmental effects of infrastructure provisioning are well documented, research on the potential role of governance in the improvement of infrastructure performance and individuallevel service utilization is lacking. I explore the effect of infrastructure provisioning on individual-level health service utilization, paying close attention to whether governance at different levels shapes people's access to health care. The different geographical levels of infrastructure provisioning, governance, and health service utilization require a multilevel analysis, which I perform using Afrobarometer Round 5 survey data on 34 African countries in a three-stage mixed-effects modeling. Results show that the presence of health infrastruc-47
Social Science Research Network, 2009
Historically the role of ideology in media studies was largely determined by the paradigm shifts-... more Historically the role of ideology in media studies was largely determined by the paradigm shifts-from Marxist to pluralist, from pluralist to critical theory, from critical theory to neo-Marxist, from neo-Marxist to critical paradigm. These paradigm shifts in turn were determined by different historical and political contexts of society. With the advent of technology and major changes in socio-legal, economic and political institutions of society over the past decades, the content, form, ownership pattern, control and function of the media have mediated into a very complex structure which requires a combination of different theoretical views in media studies. By analyzing both the strengths and weaknesses of each of these different theoretical views, this paper suggests that a critical analysis of 'ideology' is essential in any media studies when the question is how the media work.
Social Vulnerability, Wildfire Risk, and Ecological Concerns Over the American Wildland-Urban Interface in the San Francisco Bay Area: A Sustainable Development Perspective
Bandung
Building more homes and amenities in the wildland-urban interface (wui) is not a sustainable prac... more Building more homes and amenities in the wildland-urban interface (wui) is not a sustainable practice as it is associated with a greater risk of wildfire, social vulnerability, and ecological damage. Yet, the issue of whether or how to regulate the expansion of the wui remains contentious and largely unresolved in understanding sustainable development. There are fewer studies that explore how wildfire risks are compounded by social vulnerability of people who reside in the fire prone wui. Additionally, much of the extant research is focused on the national or regional level management of ecosystems and forest fires, with a clear lack of focus on local level dynamics. To fill these gaps, our analysis outlines the preliminary steps to identify social vulnerability, ecological damage, and wildfire risk in the wui fire hazard zones of the highest severity type. Utilizing gis mapping, wildfire risk, and census data on social vulnerability, our analysis reveals patterns of the wui expansi...
PLOS Medicine
Background Starting in 2006 to 2007, the Government of Bangladesh implemented the Maternal Health... more Background Starting in 2006 to 2007, the Government of Bangladesh implemented the Maternal Health Voucher Scheme (MHVS). This program provides pregnant women with vouchers that can be exchanged for health services from eligible public and private sector providers. In this study, we examined whether access to the MHVS was associated with maternal health services utilization, stillbirth, and neonatal and infant mortality. Methods and findings We used information on pregnancies and live births between 2000 to 2016 reported by women 15 to 49 years of age surveyed as part of the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Surveys. Our analytic sample included 23,275 pregnancies lasting at least 7 months for analyses of stillbirth and between 15,125 and 21,668 live births for analyses of health services use, neonatal, and infant mortality. With respect to live births occurring prior to the introduction of the MHVS, 31.3%, 14.1%, and 18.0% of women, respectively, reported receiving at least 3 antena...
Societies
Medical brain drain has been a policy concern in recent years when many countries are struggling ... more Medical brain drain has been a policy concern in recent years when many countries are struggling with health workforce shortages. Some suggest that wealthy countries only exacerbate this problem by recruiting internationally trained health professionals. Little research has considered the impact of medical brain drain on child health in the sending society, and the few empirical analyses that exist find no conclusive evidence. To fill this gap, I test the underlying mechanisms through which medical brain drain may affect child health in scores of countries. I use a panel dataset covering 188 countries over the period 2000–2015. The findings from fixed-effects regression models suggest that medical brain drain negatively affects child health and that there is a curvilinear relationship between the two. The effects on child health are stronger in countries approximately in the middle of the medical brain drain scale, and weaker on both ends. The implications of the findings for policy...
Social Science & Medicine, 2016
This article explores the impact of female political representation in national parliaments on ch... more This article explores the impact of female political representation in national parliaments on child health through a multilevel analysis. Using available Demographic and Health Surveys, we employ both cross-sectional data for 51 low-and middle-income countries and longitudinal data for 20 countries with multiple surveys. For both the cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses, female representation is negatively related to infant mortality and positively related to measles vaccination status. To explore potential mechanisms, we control for state spending on health and analyze whether the impact of female representation depends on a critical mass of female representatives. The analysis offers evidence that state spending accounts for some of the mediation effect and that the impact of female representation on infant death depends on a critical mass.
In the post-9/11 world, Bangladesh has been identified as a new hub of the Al-Qaeda network in So... more In the post-9/11 world, Bangladesh has been identified as a new hub of the Al-Qaeda network in South Asia. Most of the contemporary national and international media reports, security documents, and even academic studies point to the fact that an Islamist movement is on the dramatic rise in Bangladesh in recent years. These reports and studies portray the Islamist movement as closely linked with terrorism and devoid of any historical roots and relations with other types of movement. Contrary to this view, this study argues that the Islamist movement is not an unprecedented phenomenon but historically linked with a broader militia movement which subsequently leads to the emergence of Bangladesh as a nation state in 1971. Since its inception, the nation state is dealing not only with the Islamist movement but also with two other types of militia movement almost simultaneously-the leftwing and the ethnic. Having identified these three types, this study defines the militia movement in terms of five analytical categoriesideology, motivation, mobilization, organization, and ritual-following Freilich and others. It analyzes the Bangladesh militia movement in terms of these five dimensions, providing historical-empirical data from both primary and secondary sources to show how the contemporary militias are carrying forward the legacy of their historical forerunners. This study concludes with policy recommendations on how informed decisions can be made to effectively deal with the militia issue.
Existing studies explain the public display of violence either as a pure religious or magical pra... more Existing studies explain the public display of violence either as a pure religious or magical practice of some rightwing fundamentalist groups or as a strategy used by social movement organizers to exert pressure on authorities. In this paper, I argue that armed civil militia groups engaged in a protracted movement resort to violence following the same symbolic and strategic logic as the state military does in a counterinsurgency operation. The state military displays violence as part of their professional norms. Armed civil militia groups also view the armed movement as a profession and display violence as part of their version of militarism. To support this view I provide empirical evidence from three armed movements in Bangladesh and highlight the policy implications. Resume: La recherche actuelle explique la demonstration publique d'actes violents soit comme une pratique purement religieuse ou magique de groupes fondamentalistes de droite, soit comme une strategie utilisee p...
The Militia Movement in Bangladesh
... country I have come from. I am indebted to Professor Stephen W. Baron, the instructor of the ... more ... country I have come from. I am indebted to Professor Stephen W. Baron, the instructor of the ... I have also received insightful feedbacks, constructive suggestions, and encouraging comments from my thesis supervisor, Professor Rob Beamish. I was a Teaching Assistant of his ...
Introduction The pursuit of happiness is a not-so-subtle human obsession. We see a notable number... more Introduction The pursuit of happiness is a not-so-subtle human obsession. We see a notable number of self-help books on how to be happy are published every year and millions of copies of these books are sold worldwide. In addition, hundreds of websites and online courses now offer time-bound happiness projects.[1] This obsession is even more vivid in the United States, where happiness is viewed by most Americans as a fundamental right, on account of the paradigmatic expression given in the 1776 Declaration of Independence of the United States: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are ... endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" (quoted in Haller and Hadler 2006: 170). More than half of the states in America adopted the phrase "the pursuit of happiness" in their constitutions, yet a broader public policy to enhance the collective happiness in the country remains abs...
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Papers by Amm Quamruzzaman