Publications

This paper narrates the key events and factors that contributed to the development of Ummeed- A Ray of Hope, a short film written, shot and produced by students from the ‘core sample’ as a part of an International Film Festival on films made by minors/teens. This paper is part of the researcher’s doctoral research project “The “Self” in Classrooms: Exploring Identities through Narratives from Teaching of Social Sciences”, which analyses narratives and discourse from unconstrained socio-political discussions.

The paper shows how one can surpass “the front” (Goffman, 1956) of classroom and pedagogical spaces through intersectional positionality and facilitating enduring learning experiences for students and how one can understand individuals’ social identity through curricular experiences (Wortham, 2006) using a certain “pedagogical intent” (Van Manen, 1991), intersectional contextualised methodology (Farooqi, 2020), and democratic pedagogical situations (Apple & Beane, 2006).

Tracking Bengaluru’s dramatic urban transformation through the entanglements of finance, land frenzy, real estate volatility, and livelihood upheavals, this edited volume is an outcome of the Speculative Urbanism research project that was carried out over several years at NIAS, in collaboration with colleagues at the University of Minnesota. The book is a collection of short essays written to be accessible to a general readership, but undergirded by theoretical insights from sociology, anthropology, urban studies and geography.

Little research has examined the health care experiences of transmasculine people in India, where government initiatives to improve access to transition-related (also called gender-affirmative) care have recently been announced. We draw on data from ‘Our Health Matters’, a mixed-methods community-based participatory research project, to characterize the transition-related care experiences of transmasculine people in India. Peer researchers conducted 40 virtual qualitative interviews in Hindi or Marathi from July to September 2021. Between November 2022 and January 2023, 377 transmasculine people participated in a multi-mode survey available in five languages. Qualitative data were analysed with a combination of framework analysis and grounded theory techniques. Data were mixed using a convergent parallel approach. Transmasculine persons’ care journeys began with information-seeking, relying on peers and internet searches. In choosing between the public and private healthcare systems, they weighed issues of quality and affordability: the public system was perceived as lower-quality and difficult to access but most could not afford private care, leading to delays in care. Indeed, unmet need was common; 36.4% of survey participants were planning but had not begun to receive transition-related care and 80.2% wanted at least one transition-related surgery. Although some participants encountered stigma and refusal of care when seeking hormones, survey participants reported largely positive experiences with their hormone prescribers, which may reflect the influence of peer referrals. Participants underwent psychological assessments prior to transition-related care, which some experienced as disempowering and a barrier to disclosing mental health challenges. Finally, participants who were able to access care reported improved well-being, although surgical dissatisfaction was not uncommon (26.2%). Trans-inclusive medical training and continuing education are critical to enhancing access to high-quality transition-related care. Transmasculine people generally relied on peers and grassroots organizations for information, system navigation, and financial assistance. Strengthening these existing community resources may improve access to care.