Based on an ethnography of relationships between members of Parliament (MPs) and their constituents in Bangladesh, this article shows how social and political relationships are entangled and performed, and how MPs are viewed by others and how they see themselves. Despite the diversity of politicians and constituents, some aspects of these relationships cut across MPs’ age, gender, and political background. I argue that these messy and contradictory relationships require MPs to be shape‐shifters. When MPs transgress to collude with one group of constituents to marginalize others—or even to commit violence—the representative role breaks down. Such disruptions mean understandings of representation have to be reconceptualized. Knowing how MPs make choices between competing and conflicting interests among their constituencies could enrich debates about their role specifically and about democracy more generally.

中文翻译：

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从形变到暴力共谋：孟加拉国议会议员与选民之间非正式关系的人种志

基于对孟加拉国国会议员及其议员之间的人种关系的民族志研究，本文显示了社会和政治关系是如何纠缠和执行的，以及他人如何看待国会议员以及他们如何看待自己。尽管政客和选民的多样性，但这些关系的某些方面跨越议员的年龄，性别和政治背景。我认为，这些混乱和矛盾的关系要求国会议员成为改变现状的人。当国会议员越过与一组选民串通以将其他选民边缘化（甚至实施暴力）时，代表角色就破裂了。这种破坏意味着必须重新理解对表示的理解。