Voices from the Field – Urban inequality in India

1 november 2010

What is your research about?
In my research I first look at the dimensions of different ‘profiles’ of inequalities (exclusion, adverse inclusion and privilege) in two cities in India, Kalyan-Dombivli and Mira-Bhyandar. Basically, different areas of the cities are being administered differently and consequently different standards of basic services and infrastructure are in place. Secondly, I try to distinguish the structural reasons (norms, rules, and power relations) from individual reasons (preferences, lifestyle, income) behind the different profiles of inequalities present. With this study we would like understand better the dynamics behind basic services inequalities leading to better interventions and policy adjustments.

Which fieldwork experience will you never forget and why?
One day I was interviewing a local politician when a young women ran in, she was screaming and bleeding — her husband had just beaten her. She was looking for the politician for protection and advice. This was when I realized that the role that local politicians play in slum areas extends far beyond voting on municipal budgets — they are involved in almost all aspects of local formal and informal governance.

What will you not miss about doing research (after you finished)?
Load sharing; in the Mumbai region normally the power goes out 2 times a day for 2 hours. It can also be extremely hot and humid, which I will not miss. Furthermore, its difficult being away from my family for such long stretches.

What motivates you to do this research?
Social justice and environmental issues motivate me. The South is becoming more urbanized every year as is poverty and inequality. The way things play out in Southern cities affect not only their inhabitants but the whole world. We need to be putting lots of efforts into understanding the social and political dynamics of urban development if we hope to enable more just, efficient and sustainable urbanization.

Can you give your fellow researchers do’s and don’ts when starting a research project in India?
1) I soon realized that being stand-offish to maintain objective distance wasn’t going to get me to the people and insights I needed. Therefore I would say: Do take the time to build your local network and become friends – or at least friendly – with ‘respondents’ or ‘key informants’.
2) Don’t be too quick to judge or too quick to draw conclusions from what you observe; often what is really going on beneath the surface takes a long time to put together and usually our understandings are quite temporal.

What is the main result of your research so far?
That urban citizenship is quite stratified. People with insecure and informal employment tend to have informal and insecure housing and thus informal and insecure relations with the government. This is problematic given that the way these cities are currently pushed to grow into world-class cities is only suitable for the middle-class, elites, and corporations. Little effort is given to provide suitable housing and decent employment for the majority.