Graduate Assistantship for a SSHRC funded project

Professor Shubhra Gururani
Department of Anthropology
York University
Toronto. ON. M3J 1P3



I am recruiting three graduate students, MA or PhD, to work on three
different aspects of a research project on Global Suburbanisms. The
"Global Suburbanisms: Governance, Land, and Infrastructure in the 21st
Century" research program is a Major Collaborative Initiative (MCRI),
funded by Social Science and Humanities Research Council, (SSHRC),
Canada (http://www.yorku.ca/suburbs/) and housed at the CITY Institute,
York University, Toronto. I am accepting applications from students
interested in questions of urban transformation in the Global South,
specifically India. Students with previous training in anthropology or
geography are encouraged to apply. Funding is available only to students
who are enrolled in a degree program. In order to receive funding,
students have to be accepted and enrolled in the MA/PhD program at York
University, Toronto.

There are two funding opportunities: First, the project seeks students
to focus on suburban ecologies like urban commons, urban parks, and
greenbelts and explore various aspects of contested ecologies and
everyday environmentalisms. The student is expected to first conduct a
survey of different urban environmental regulations over the last twenty
years, specifically in the National Capital Region of India and identify
a research site; second, live in Gurgaon for at least period of 2-3
months for MA students and longer for PhD students and conduct
ethnographic fieldwork among urban villagers, migrant workers, and
middle-class residents of Gurgaon.

Second, the project seeks students to focus on suburban infrastructure,
specifically waste and sewage. The student is expected to conduct survey
of different waste management regulations and practices in Gurgaon, and
conduct ethnographic fieldwork for at least period of 2-3 months for MA
students and longer for PhD to explore questions of how sewage are
addressed, who are the new and old actors in sewage management, and how
the politics of sewage intersects with the politics of place, class,
caste, and gender.

Third, the project seeks students to focus on everyday practices of
sub/urbanisms, with a focus on work, livelihoods, and mobility. The
student will identify one area of research and conduct ethnographic
research in the urban peripheries of New Delhi, including Gurgaon. The
student is expected to spend 2-3 months in the field for MA students and
longer for PhD students and examine the changing urban landscape of work
and mobility.

Basic knowledge of Hindi/Punjabi and knowledge of India will be
positively evaluated. Students with previous international fieldwork
experience in the Global South are strongly encouraged to apply.

If you are interested in applying for the funds available for the Global
Suburbanism project, please send your CV, transcript, and 2-page
statement detailing your theoretical orientation, methodological
training, and previous experience by March 1, 2013 to me at
gururani@yorku.ca. In order to get admission to the program, you have to
apply separately through regular channels and follow University's
admission process. The funding is available only to students who are or
will be enrolled in a graduate program. Please note: admission to the
graduate program/s is a separate process and is not guaranteed.

If you have any questions, please contact me directly at gururani@yorku.ca