Papers by Sumit S A U R A B H Srivastava
Third Concept , 2022
The quest for jobs and better livelihoods is the major cause of labour migration. At both the sen... more The quest for jobs and better livelihoods is the major cause of labour migration. At both the sending and receiving ends, migration has economic, social, and political impacts on the regions. Migrations may be seasonal, semi-permanent and permanent, or circular. The challenges faced by the migrant labour includes lack of social entitlements, social and political exclusion, inadequate housing and exploitation. Migrant Labours in particular those in the unorganized sector face severe livelihood insecurities. This article aims to highlight the long-term, structural aspects of the livelihood's crisis experienced by migrant workers. It does so by drawing on secondary data that is already available, observations made during field research by the author and other scholars, findings from quick surveys released by various organisations, and media reports. The purpose of this paper is to outline the vulnerabilities and challenges encountered by migrant labours in India amid Covid-19 vis-à-vis the policies developed to counter such problems.
Social change is the universal feature of human societies across time and space. The fundamental ... more Social change is the universal feature of human societies across time and space. The fundamental principle underlying this statement is the degree, pattern, unit, and direction of change. The objective of the paper is to underline key sociological and socio-anthropological theorizations of social change. The paper begins with conceptual underpinnings of social change and subsequently moving towards classification and typology of social change as evident in major writings. Descriptive and analytical elaboration of Evolution and Diffusion as forms of social change are included in the socio-anthropological scholarship on social change. Cyclical and 'Cultural Lag' perspectives form the core of sociological interpretations of social change. Towards the end of the paper, a brief outline of modernization as a form of social change is attempted. The key issues are once again underlined and summarized in the concluding section of the paper.
London: Routledge, 2024
ABSTRACT
After reading this chapter, you will be able to
Describe the system and anti-system a... more ABSTRACT
After reading this chapter, you will be able to
Describe the system and anti-system as key concepts in social movements;
Explain the key components of world-system analysis as outlined by Immanuel Wallerstein;
Describe distinct stages and phases of anti-systemic social movements in human history;
Explain the relevance and significance of anti-systemic social movements in a neoliberal society;
Discuss the contemporary and future challenges and problems confronting anti-systemic social movements.
Springer eBooks, 2022
Sanitation is inextricably intertwined with both the toilet and containment and safe disposal of ... more Sanitation is inextricably intertwined with both the toilet and containment and safe disposal of human excreta, and to bring these two at the center of the academic discourse is the singular aim of this paper. The paper has two interrelated objectives: first it presents a brief account, based primarily on available secondary sources, of the current status of sanitation facilities and services at the global and regional levels; and second, it outlines effective inclusive sanitation interventions made by both state and global institutions. The paper underlines that the contemporary world is marked by "global sanitation crisis" wherein according to the World Health Organization (WHO), the population of those who do not have basic sanitation facilities such as toilets or latrines is around two billion. Most alarmingly, inadequate sanitation results into negative health consequences particularly among children which attests to interlinkages between sanitation, health, and hygiene and "burden of diseases" exemplified through disabilityadjusted life years or DALYs. The paper also dwells upon the gender and sanitation interlinkages. Subsequently, the paper underlines the interventions
Of Queer Movements and the State's Desire to Discipline: An Interview with Sumit Saurabh Srivastava
Socio-Legal Review Forum, National Law School of India University, Bangalore, 2023
Almost a decade ago, he wrote on the intricacies of the queer movement in India during the fight ... more Almost a decade ago, he wrote on the intricacies of the queer movement in India during the fight against Section 377 in his article “Disciplining the 'Desire': 'Straight' State and LGBT Activism in India” (2014). While much has changed since the article was first published, many concerns that he expressed in the essay resonate to this day. Thus, we thought it important to hear his views and perspective on the construction of queerness and queer social movements vis-à-vis the state, as they have evolved over these years.
In this piece, he highlights the rather tenuous relationship between the state institutions and the queer movement in India and how both have been impacting and transforming each other over the years. He also talks about the role of non-state institutions and influences such as Hindu faith organizations, social media, and citizen journalists among others. He further reflects, importantly, on the rather fraught relationship between the queer movement and the feminist movement. Dr. Srivastava’s contribution brings to focus the changing nature of the state in its relationship to love, desire, sexuality, and marriage, and the possibilities that lie ahead.
The idea of agency is a key concept in feminist theory and gender politics. It is also understood... more The idea of agency is a key concept in feminist theory and gender politics. It is also understood as a manifestation of relational autonomy countering systems of exploitation and oppression and subverting patriarchy. Seen in this way, agency aims at resistance from within oppressive situations. How agency has been conceptualised in social theory and feminist theory is the singular objective of the paper. It begins with conceptualising key variables like agency, structure, resistance and their interlinkages. Subsequently, the agencystructure debates so central to both sociological and anthropological enquiries are addressed. The paper then shifts to selective major feminist cross-cultural analytical engagements with gender and agency both at the conceptual and empirical levels. The paper concludes by posing questions the answers to which are still being scripted.
The present research paper aims to give an account of violence engaging with both sociological an... more The present research paper aims to give an account of violence engaging with both sociological and political strands of conceptual and definitional debates. In this process, the paper engages with the multiple dimensions & types of violence. The research paper's central argument is that violence is a multi-layered concept anchored in the diverse socioeconomic specificities. Taking into account that violence is more that mere physical and 'bodily' hurt, the research paper also engages with Pierre Bourdieu's writings on symbolic power & symbolic violence. It emerges from the discourse on violence that the acts of violence may be experienced by the victims / survivors 'willingly' without any effective opposition as these are 'internalized' by those who suffer. Such 'normalcy' of violence makes it difficult to discern its content and context. Furthermore, the gender dimension of violence is sketched through the Violence Against Women (VAW) framework. The paper addresses such related issues.
provide key insights into the emergence of dependency as a perspective in development define ... more provide key insights into the emergence of dependency as a perspective in development define and explain dependency understand about its nature, scope and significance understand major figures in dependency perspective to development evaluate significance of dependency in development discourse Structure 7.1
After completion of this unit, you should be able to: provide key insights into the emergence o... more After completion of this unit, you should be able to: provide key insights into the emergence of modernization as a perspective in development define and explain modernization and its link with capital understand about its nature, scope and significance understand major figures in modernization perspective to development evaluate significance of modernization in development discourse Structure 5.1 MSO-104/OSOU 46 the binary oppositions (dichotomy) of society: traditional/ modern and backward/ advanced.
Chapter in edited book, 2022
Chapter in edited book, 2022
Shodhasamhita, 2022
In line with the steady pace of urbanisation in recent years, various concerns of cities have gai... more In line with the steady pace of urbanisation in recent years, various concerns of cities have gained significance in contemporary urban India. Rapid urban population growth has increased demand for housing, civic infrastructure, and employment opportunities, as well as affected welfare outcomes. This rapid urbanisation has ushered in new policy issues for a fast-growing economy like India in terms of providing enough livelihood opportunities for those who are vulnerable. A number of initiatives have been introduced or re-oriented in recent years to protect the urban poor against shocks such as loss of employment and income, illness, and disability, as well as to ensure improved living conditions but unlike the MGNREGA in the rural counterparts, urban poor have no such programme that provides employment guarantee. This paper is an attempt to analyse the issues of urban poor in India and the need of the Urban employment Guarantee Programme.
Module ID Prerequisites The reader is expected to have the knowledge of the concept of sex & gend... more Module ID Prerequisites The reader is expected to have the knowledge of the concept of sex & gender, violence in general and violence against women in particular. Additional knowledge about the Constitutional laws and provisions to check crimes against women in India is desirable. Objectives This module aims to familiarize the reader with the various debates cantered around Violence Against Women (VAW). In the process, it will briefly outline how VAW has been addressed at the international / global level, primarily by United Nations. Subsequently, the Module will focus on different aspects of VAW with special reference to India.
Paper 5 unit-7 Module .32 Prerequisites The reader is expected to have some awareness about of se... more Paper 5 unit-7 Module .32 Prerequisites The reader is expected to have some awareness about of sex & gender, sexuality and various elements of same sex sexualities i.e. alternative sexuality Objectives This module aims at familiarizing the reader with the various debates cantered around sexuality and emergence of alternative sexualities. In the process of providing 'exclusion' perspective on same sex sexualities i.e. alternative sexuality; it succinctly argues how it can be located into the Human Rights framework.
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Papers by Sumit S A U R A B H Srivastava
After reading this chapter, you will be able to
Describe the system and anti-system as key concepts in social movements;
Explain the key components of world-system analysis as outlined by Immanuel Wallerstein;
Describe distinct stages and phases of anti-systemic social movements in human history;
Explain the relevance and significance of anti-systemic social movements in a neoliberal society;
Discuss the contemporary and future challenges and problems confronting anti-systemic social movements.
In this piece, he highlights the rather tenuous relationship between the state institutions and the queer movement in India and how both have been impacting and transforming each other over the years. He also talks about the role of non-state institutions and influences such as Hindu faith organizations, social media, and citizen journalists among others. He further reflects, importantly, on the rather fraught relationship between the queer movement and the feminist movement. Dr. Srivastava’s contribution brings to focus the changing nature of the state in its relationship to love, desire, sexuality, and marriage, and the possibilities that lie ahead.