Graduate student Ajay Gandhi, under the supervision of Dr. John Bernard Bate, will undertake a study of how the urban poor in Delhi, India, negotiate with government regulation to access basic necessities of life, such as housing and work. His research will examine how official legal and policing mechanisms affect the social security of the urban poor in the name of public health and environmental standards. He will also examine how the poor respond to this regulation. His research will clarify the relationship between bureaucratic and legal measures applied to informal economic activity and housing, on the one hand, and, on the other hand, how the urban poor respond to insecurity.

The researcher will utilize a combination of social science research methods. He will implement a survey and collect ego-centered network data for representative households in a poor area of Delhi. He will carry out participant observation of living conditions and livelihood practices with informal sector workers. He will interview legal and policing authorities in Delhi, and gather archival materials from relevant state archives and ministries on legal rulings and urban planning.

This research is important because it will examine how informal realms of patronage and authority are interwoven with formal policies, laws, and practices of state officials. It also contribute towards an understanding of the tensions in a democracy that is predicated on universal citizenship but necessarily also controls access to urban space and livelihoods. The research will also contribute towards the education of a social scientist.

Agency
National Science Foundation (NSF)
Institute
Division of Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences (BCS)
Type
Standard Grant (Standard)
Application #
0752027
Program Officer
Deborah Winslow
Project Start
Project End
Budget Start
2008-04-01
Budget End
2010-08-31
Support Year
Fiscal Year
2007
Total Cost
$15,000
Indirect Cost
Name
Yale University
Department
Type
DUNS #
City
New Haven
State
CT
Country
United States
Zip Code
06520