Gospels of Modernity: Digital Cattle Markets, Urban Religiosity, and Secular Computing in the Global South

Title of the Paper

Gospels of Modernity: Digital Cattle Markets, Urban Religiosity, and Secular Computing in the Global South

Paper Information

• Subject Area: Digital Markets, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Religion, and Urbanization
• Keywords: Digital Markets, Modernity, Secular Computing, Urban Design, Spatial Politics

Research Background and Problem Statement

• Problems and Challenges:
  • The rapid digitalization of cattle markets across Bangladesh is profoundly impacting religious activities and traditional practices associated with Muslim festivals such as Eid-ul-Adha.
  • The influence of digital markets on religious practices, socio-cultural dynamics, and political ecosystems in Global South cities (e.g., Dhaka) remains underexplored in HCI research.
• Significance:
  • Religion plays a crucial socio-cultural role in cities of the Global South, yet digital platforms may erode these traditional religious values.
  • This transformation involves not only technological shifts but also the redefinition of religious sentiments, community connections, and rural-urban relationships.
• Research Motivation:
  • To investigate how digital cattle markets diminish the urban visibility of religious festivals, weaken rural-urban ties, and reshape electoral politics.
  • To critique existing HCI design paradigms, particularly their bias toward Western modernity and secularization, which overlook the complexities of non-Western religious cities.

Solution

• Research Methods:
  • The authors conducted a year-long ethnographic study, combining field interviews, focus group discussions, and observations to explore the digital transformation of traditional cattle markets in Dhaka.
  • Data was collected and analyzed from diverse groups across rural and urban Bangladesh, including farmers, online market consumers, and electoral stakeholders.
• Key Techniques:
  • Qualitative data analysis (e.g., open coding, thematic analysis) was employed to understand the tensions between religion and digitalization.
  • Existing social science and STS theories were used to connect HCI research with broader discussions on religion and spatial politics.
• Innovations:
  • A critical analysis of how secular computing marginalizes religious practices.
  • Proposing design approaches centered on religious diversity to enhance the inclusivity of digital platforms.

Research Findings

• Specific Findings:
  • Digital cattle markets are reshaping the religious landscape of urban Bangladesh:
    1. Reduced Visibility of Religious Festivals: A shift from the prominence of traditional cattle markets as sites of festive activities and social interaction to the individualization of online shopping.
    2. Decoupling from Electoral Politics: Traditional cattle markets once served as key venues for showcasing local political power, a function diminished by digitalization.
    3. Marginalization of Religious Sentiments: The mechanization and quantification of religious rituals have impacted personal and community religious fulfillment.
    4. Weakened Rural-Urban Connections: Farmers face reduced opportunities for participation and visibility in urban economies.
• Strengths:
  • The study reveals the complexities of digital transformation from multiple perspectives, addressing a research gap in the HCI community concerning Global South cities.
• Experimental Results:
  • By cross-analyzing traditional and digital markets, the research provides an in-depth portrayal of the socio-cultural impacts of digitalization.
• Limitations and Future Directions:
  1. Limitations: The study focuses on Dhaka and its surrounding villages; other urban areas or countries may exhibit different dynamics. Gender dimensions and the impact on non-Muslim communities remain underexplored.
  2. Future Directions: Expanding research to other cities and religious groups; examining gender dynamics and women's roles in digital cattle markets; exploring the potential for hybrid physical-digital markets.

Discussion

• Design Implications for HCI:
  • The study recommends developing digital platforms that integrate religious values and community sentiments, ensuring designs reflect users' cultural and religious contexts.
  • Designers should collaborate with religious communities to enhance user experience by redesigning interfaces and fostering community interaction to evoke religious resonance.
• Contributions to Rural-Urban Connection Studies:
  • The study highlights how digital markets influence economic and cultural relationships between rural and urban areas, urging the HCI community to explore the complex social environments of Global South cities more broadly.
• Theoretical Significance:
  • The research integrates HCI with critical urban theories (e.g., intersections of secularization and religious politics), advancing studies on the relationship between religion and technological development, and providing a reference for the emerging field of "Religious HCI."