Abstract
This research paper focuses on the life experiences of sharecroppers, of Sindh Rice belt in Pakistan. The purpose of this paper is to grasp the subjective meaning of sharecropper’s experiences associated or related to the unpaid labour (Begar), and to assess the prevalence of Begar as a kind of social and economic exploitative arrangement. Sharecroppers are approached in this research as active agents capable of shaping and transforming their identities and power relations. Field Theory with attributes ‘safety first’ and ‘risk aversion’ have been applied to understand multiple aspects of unpaid labour (Begar). It was found that Begar is not a major form of exploitation, as usually it is depicted. Wage-less work is not imposed by the landlord. Contrary to that, it is explicitly negotiated by the sharecropper. Begar is a two way dualistic process in which both landlord and sharecropper cooperate and reciprocate for different reasons to seek multiple concession and social benefits. The practice of unpaid labor is a continual process influenced by multiple identities of the sharecropper and the landlord, in which dominance and subjugation are not fixed and unilateral, but fluid and ever-shifting. Data was collected through field group discussions, participation observation and conversational interviews, followed by thematic analysis.
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