UROP Project

inequality, discrimination, alcoholism, lived experience, depression, anxiety, India, violence, health disparities

Research Mentor: cchakrabarti@fsu.edu Choeeta Chakrabarti, She/Her
Department, College, Affiliation: Anthropology, Arts and Sciences
Contact Email: cchakrabarti@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor):
Research Assistant Supervisor Email:
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:

Looking for Research Assistants: Yes
Number of Research Assistants: 4
Relevant Majors: Open to all majors
Project Location: On FSU Main Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required:
Remote or In-person: Partially Remote
Approximate Weekly Hours: 10,
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link: Availability:
Tuesday, Sept 3:
10-11am, and 2-4pm
Thursday , Sept 5:
10-4pm
Preferred:
Sept 3 and Sept 5: 11-11:30am

Project Description

This project aims to document the health outcomes and lived experiences of male manual scavengers—individuals forced to clean, handle, and dispose of human excrement from septic tanks, open drains, and other sewage systems. These scavengers typically belong to the lowest rung of India’s caste hierarchy, the Dalits (formerly known as 'Untouchables'), a group historically relegated to this stigmatized, caste-based occupation for generations. Despite the legal prohibition of manual scavenging in India, the practice persists in impoverished communities, where these individuals face compounded discrimination: one based on their caste, and another tied to the degrading nature of their work. Many men resort to alcohol as a coping mechanism for the severe social isolation and harsh working conditions.

This project is the result of three months of fieldwork conducted in Dharavi, Asia’s largest slum, in Mumbai. It is divided into qualitative and quantitative components. The qualitative section will explore the experiences of discrimination, structural barriers, and health consequences faced by male manual scavengers. The quantitative section will assess their health outcomes by measuring cortisol levels (from both hair and saliva) and correlating these with psychometric test results for depression, stress, loneliness, and alcoholism. Additional health indicators, such as BMI and blood pressure, will also be analyzed to provide a comprehensive understanding of the physical and psychological toll on this marginalized population.

Research Tasks: Literature review, qualitative coding, qualitative and quantitative data analysis, synthesizing results, lab work (if interested)

Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Required: For the rest of the spots, I am looking for students who have quantitative data analysis skills to analyze survey data (through a software package like SPSS, SAS, STAT, R etc.)