Giving a voice to vulnerable poor communities : a qualitative market research approach

Until recently most studies on the effects of poverty in third world economies have tended to be quantitative in nature with a few exceptions and while these studies have contributed to knowledge regarding such areas as monetary poverty, labour markets and land ownership patterns, complimentary qualitative studies are needed also in order to provide a nuanced understanding of poverty dynamics at the household level and the complex social realities and drivers that lie behind them. The exploration of consumer choice and decision-making undertaken in this study adopts a qualitative approach, acknowledging the contextual realities within which consumption choices are made by people who experience sustained poverty and deprivation .It is an exploratory study which considers the major influences on decision making processes and outcomes in a chronically poor rural context, using Bangladesh as an example and taking financial products as an illustration.