As the Indian higher education landscape unfolds under the shadow of intensive privatisation, neoliberalism and globalisation, researchers are studying its diverse aspects…he concept of NPLEUs may be useful in such research to distinguish a particular category of HEIs, as described in this essay.
New Private Liberal Education Universities Read More »
What appeared at first as community apathy toward collective initiatives gradually showed itself as a deeper erosion of trust in institutions and in the possibility of meaningful change. Through repeated interactions, focus group discussions, and informal conversations, residents began articulating shared concerns related to flooding, waste accumulation, health risks, and administrative inaction.
Working with the Margins: Reflections from an Urban Periphery of Kerala Read More »
The “field” then, besides being a site of knowledge creation and knowledge production, also becomes a site where the researcher is often confronted with vulnerabilities, risks, and suspicion, especially when it comes to politically and socially sensitive settings such as the chars in lower Assam.
When the Field Looks Back: Police, Weed, and the Researcher Read More »
The field taught me to recognise refusal, hesitation, and delay as meaningful forms of communication rather than obstacles to data collection.
Research among the marginalised is not just data collection; it is negotiation, humility, and above all, responsibility. I succeeded in building trust and gaining field access. Although my formal chapter of fieldwork is over, the bond with my participants is still there. Whenever I take a break from work, I come and sit with them and together, we chat and laugh.
Negotiating Access and Acceptance in the Field: Entering an Unknown Territory Read More »
Crucially, inheriting ‘banked time’ is not only about the amount of time that one is advantaged by, but also by the quality of time, which I call an ‘entitled’ temporal disposition. This refers to the secure relation an advantageous inheritor has with time—they are at ease, feel entitled, and exude confidence thanks to their abundant resources and fall-back options.
Time Debt and Banked Time Read More »
This article reflects on the dilemmas of performing Brahminhood during ethnographic fieldwork, illustrating how caste identity shapes access, expectations, and interactions. It highlights the researcher’s shifting positionality, fieldwork diplomacy, and negotiated balance between belonging and distancing while “studying up.”
Between Belonging and Distancing: Dilemmas of Performing Brahminhood Read More »
Fieldwork is often described as a process and a journey to uncover truths about issues. But sometimes, it reveals as much about ourselves—the contradictions we grapple with and the questions we cannot yet answer.
Dhaka, 2024: Reflections of a Researcher Amidst Crisis Read More »
