Leela Fernandes - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Leela Fernandes
New York University Press eBooks, Dec 31, 2020
The Journal of Asian Studies, Nov 1, 1996
... The Left Front could not be credited with successful implementation of any program. ... to be... more ... The Left Front could not be credited with successful implementation of any program. ... to be the bureaucratic line."7 Though Dr. Sarkar's thesis/book on West Bengal land reform is the ... experience in the field, have been discounted despite their access to material far exceeding that ...
Choice Reviews Online, May 1, 2007
During the long period I spent researching and writing this book, I benefited from a number of in... more During the long period I spent researching and writing this book, I benefited from a number of individual and institutional sources of support and feedback. An early period of field research funded by the American Institute for Indian Studies in 1996 first sparked my interest in the middle class. An American Council for Learned Societies/ Social Science Research Council fellowship enabled me to conduct a longer period of uninterrupted fieldwork in 1998-99. Rutgers University provided crucial support through a Research Council grant, sabbatical leaves, and additional time off through fellowships from the Institute for Research on Women. During my field research in Mumbai, I benefited from the support, hospitality, and logistical help of a number of people. Ongoing intellectual conversations and support from Sharit Bhowmick were extremely helpful; I am particularly grateful to him for sharing his insights on Mumbai's politics, his help in setting up interviews with union officials, and for introducing me to many interesting faculty members at the University of Mumbai. Andre Ferns provided logistical assistance and helped me set up interviews in the advertising industry. Michele Fernandes provided tireless help and became my de facto research assistant. Finally, I am grateful to Rian and Anu D'Costa for their constant kindness and for generously opening their home to me during all of my visits to Mumbai. The arguments put forth here have benefited from suggestions, comments, and responses from many people. Miduk Kim, Gaurav Sood, and Anil Jacob offered helpful research assistance. Various chapters benefited from presentations at the Center for Race and ix Gender, University of California at Berkeley; the University of California, Irvine's workshop "Race, Labor, and Empire," organized by Gilbert Gonzalez and his colleagues in labor studies; the National University of Singapore's workshop "Forgotten Spaces," organized by Yong-Sook Lee and Brenda Yeoh; the Association for Asian Studies meetings; and a fruitful discussion at the Netsappe meeting in Paris helped shape the introductory chapter. The manuscript is improved as a result of specific comments, suggestions, and critiques made by many people. Thanks in particular go to
New York University Press eBooks, 2013
New York University Press eBooks, Dec 31, 2020
New York University Press eBooks, Dec 31, 2020
New York University Press eBooks, Dec 31, 2020
<p>This essay presents the theoretical framework for understanding state power in the conte... more <p>This essay presents the theoretical framework for understanding state power in the context of policies of economic liberalization that are associated with the paradigm of neoliberalism. It specifically develops a conceptualization of the post-liberalization state that moves beyond assumptions that the neoliberal state is one that has necessarily weakened or retreated. The post-liberalization state is defined by shifting boundaries between state, market, and civil society that are contingent on the political, social, and economic circumstances within nations while also being shaped by transnational processes. These boundaries are shaped as much by historical continuities with older formations such as the developmental state and the racial state as they are with new modes of power. Through this focus on the state, the essay seeks to disrupt the conflation between neoliberalism and processes of privatization and the dominance of market rationalities. An understanding of the post-liberalization period in the twenty-first century requires analyses that also foreground questions of how conceptions of "publicness" are reconstituted and deployed, how states shape economic policy and contribute to the reproduction of inequality, and how political and social consent to structures of exclusion are produced and disrupted by social movements.</p>
Feminists Rethink the Neoliberal State, 2018
This chapter presents an overview of the feminist analytic of the post-liberalization state as de... more This chapter presents an overview of the feminist analytic of the post-liberalization state as developed in this volume. It develops a feminist materialist approach that addresses the complexities and contradictions of the policies, ideologies, and practices associated with contemporary neoliberalism. This approach rests on an integrated analysis of discursive and nondiscursive practices and addresses the interconnections between inequalities such as gender, race, caste, sexuality, and class. From this materialist feminist perspective, the discursive regimes that shape policies of market liberalization often rest on a paradox. If a materialist feminist analysis necessitates that we pay attention to complex dynamics of race, sexuality, class, and national context, these discursive regimes are also invested in liberal narratives of women’s empowerment that invoke a homogeneous category of “woman.” This category thus becomes a key component of the developmental dimensions of market lib...
Papeles del CEIC: International Journal on Collective Identity Research, Mar 27, 2023
This article analyzes the political dynamics of middle class claims of representativeness of the ... more This article analyzes the political dynamics of middle class claims of representativeness of the public interest in contemporary India. Drawing on research in the post-liberalization period, the article examines the ways in which the "publicness" of the middle classes produces a distinctive relationship between this social group and state power. In the process, the middle classes both become a vehicle for the exercise of state power and are able to benefit from this relationship. Middle class claims on the public interest allow this social group to shape governmental responses and policies. This allows this social group to gain indirect access to state power and access to material resources. An analysis of the publicness of the middle classes is critical for an understanding of the nature of socioeconomic inequality. The article draws on a case study of urban governance and water resources in contemporary India and is based on qualitative research and fieldwork.
Papeles del CEUC: International Journal on Collective Identity, 2023
This article analyzes the political dynamics of middle class claims of representativeness of the ... more This article analyzes the political dynamics of middle class claims of representativeness of the public interest in contemporary India. Drawing on research in the post-liberalization period, the article examines the ways in which the "publicness" of the middle classes produces a distinctive relationship between this social group and state power. In the process, the middle classes both become a vehicle for the exercise of state power and are able to benefit from this relationship. Middle class claims on the public interest allow this social group to shape governmental responses and policies. This allows this social group to gain indirect access to state power and access to material resources. An analysis of the publicness of the middle classes is critical for an understanding of the nature of socioeconomic inequality. The article draws on a case study of urban governance and water resources in contemporary India and is based on qualitative research and fieldwork.
Bulletin of Concerned Asian Scholars, 1994
This article is based on a detailed ethnographic study of Calcutta jute mill workers, with the ar... more This article is based on a detailed ethnographic study of Calcutta jute mill workers, with the argument drawing on interviews and observations of everyday politics and conflicts at the factory level. In an attempt to transcend the problem of essentialism in the study of working class politics, the article presents a theoretical reconceptualization of class, arguing that class is a contested category, one that is constituted by conflict, exclusion, and a hierarchical representation of interests. The "making" of class politics in India thus represents a continual process of reconstruction and conflict rather than a predefined teleology. In this process, it is maintained that both the structural and ideological/cultural components of class are constructed through the politics of gender and community.
Transnational Feminism in the United States, 2013
Transnational Feminism in the United States, 2013
Transnational Feminism in the United States, 2013
Journal of Gender Studies, 2014
Routledge Handbook of Contemporary India, 2015
New York University Press eBooks, Dec 31, 2020
The Journal of Asian Studies, Nov 1, 1996
... The Left Front could not be credited with successful implementation of any program. ... to be... more ... The Left Front could not be credited with successful implementation of any program. ... to be the bureaucratic line.&amp;amp;amp;quot;7 Though Dr. Sarkar&amp;amp;amp;#x27;s thesis/book on West Bengal land reform is the ... experience in the field, have been discounted despite their access to material far exceeding that ...
Choice Reviews Online, May 1, 2007
During the long period I spent researching and writing this book, I benefited from a number of in... more During the long period I spent researching and writing this book, I benefited from a number of individual and institutional sources of support and feedback. An early period of field research funded by the American Institute for Indian Studies in 1996 first sparked my interest in the middle class. An American Council for Learned Societies/ Social Science Research Council fellowship enabled me to conduct a longer period of uninterrupted fieldwork in 1998-99. Rutgers University provided crucial support through a Research Council grant, sabbatical leaves, and additional time off through fellowships from the Institute for Research on Women. During my field research in Mumbai, I benefited from the support, hospitality, and logistical help of a number of people. Ongoing intellectual conversations and support from Sharit Bhowmick were extremely helpful; I am particularly grateful to him for sharing his insights on Mumbai's politics, his help in setting up interviews with union officials, and for introducing me to many interesting faculty members at the University of Mumbai. Andre Ferns provided logistical assistance and helped me set up interviews in the advertising industry. Michele Fernandes provided tireless help and became my de facto research assistant. Finally, I am grateful to Rian and Anu D'Costa for their constant kindness and for generously opening their home to me during all of my visits to Mumbai. The arguments put forth here have benefited from suggestions, comments, and responses from many people. Miduk Kim, Gaurav Sood, and Anil Jacob offered helpful research assistance. Various chapters benefited from presentations at the Center for Race and ix Gender, University of California at Berkeley; the University of California, Irvine's workshop "Race, Labor, and Empire," organized by Gilbert Gonzalez and his colleagues in labor studies; the National University of Singapore's workshop "Forgotten Spaces," organized by Yong-Sook Lee and Brenda Yeoh; the Association for Asian Studies meetings; and a fruitful discussion at the Netsappe meeting in Paris helped shape the introductory chapter. The manuscript is improved as a result of specific comments, suggestions, and critiques made by many people. Thanks in particular go to
New York University Press eBooks, 2013
New York University Press eBooks, Dec 31, 2020
New York University Press eBooks, Dec 31, 2020
New York University Press eBooks, Dec 31, 2020
<p>This essay presents the theoretical framework for understanding state power in the conte... more <p>This essay presents the theoretical framework for understanding state power in the context of policies of economic liberalization that are associated with the paradigm of neoliberalism. It specifically develops a conceptualization of the post-liberalization state that moves beyond assumptions that the neoliberal state is one that has necessarily weakened or retreated. The post-liberalization state is defined by shifting boundaries between state, market, and civil society that are contingent on the political, social, and economic circumstances within nations while also being shaped by transnational processes. These boundaries are shaped as much by historical continuities with older formations such as the developmental state and the racial state as they are with new modes of power. Through this focus on the state, the essay seeks to disrupt the conflation between neoliberalism and processes of privatization and the dominance of market rationalities. An understanding of the post-liberalization period in the twenty-first century requires analyses that also foreground questions of how conceptions of "publicness" are reconstituted and deployed, how states shape economic policy and contribute to the reproduction of inequality, and how political and social consent to structures of exclusion are produced and disrupted by social movements.</p>
Feminists Rethink the Neoliberal State, 2018
This chapter presents an overview of the feminist analytic of the post-liberalization state as de... more This chapter presents an overview of the feminist analytic of the post-liberalization state as developed in this volume. It develops a feminist materialist approach that addresses the complexities and contradictions of the policies, ideologies, and practices associated with contemporary neoliberalism. This approach rests on an integrated analysis of discursive and nondiscursive practices and addresses the interconnections between inequalities such as gender, race, caste, sexuality, and class. From this materialist feminist perspective, the discursive regimes that shape policies of market liberalization often rest on a paradox. If a materialist feminist analysis necessitates that we pay attention to complex dynamics of race, sexuality, class, and national context, these discursive regimes are also invested in liberal narratives of women’s empowerment that invoke a homogeneous category of “woman.” This category thus becomes a key component of the developmental dimensions of market lib...
Papeles del CEIC: International Journal on Collective Identity Research, Mar 27, 2023
This article analyzes the political dynamics of middle class claims of representativeness of the ... more This article analyzes the political dynamics of middle class claims of representativeness of the public interest in contemporary India. Drawing on research in the post-liberalization period, the article examines the ways in which the "publicness" of the middle classes produces a distinctive relationship between this social group and state power. In the process, the middle classes both become a vehicle for the exercise of state power and are able to benefit from this relationship. Middle class claims on the public interest allow this social group to shape governmental responses and policies. This allows this social group to gain indirect access to state power and access to material resources. An analysis of the publicness of the middle classes is critical for an understanding of the nature of socioeconomic inequality. The article draws on a case study of urban governance and water resources in contemporary India and is based on qualitative research and fieldwork.
Papeles del CEUC: International Journal on Collective Identity, 2023
This article analyzes the political dynamics of middle class claims of representativeness of the ... more This article analyzes the political dynamics of middle class claims of representativeness of the public interest in contemporary India. Drawing on research in the post-liberalization period, the article examines the ways in which the "publicness" of the middle classes produces a distinctive relationship between this social group and state power. In the process, the middle classes both become a vehicle for the exercise of state power and are able to benefit from this relationship. Middle class claims on the public interest allow this social group to shape governmental responses and policies. This allows this social group to gain indirect access to state power and access to material resources. An analysis of the publicness of the middle classes is critical for an understanding of the nature of socioeconomic inequality. The article draws on a case study of urban governance and water resources in contemporary India and is based on qualitative research and fieldwork.
Bulletin of Concerned Asian Scholars, 1994
This article is based on a detailed ethnographic study of Calcutta jute mill workers, with the ar... more This article is based on a detailed ethnographic study of Calcutta jute mill workers, with the argument drawing on interviews and observations of everyday politics and conflicts at the factory level. In an attempt to transcend the problem of essentialism in the study of working class politics, the article presents a theoretical reconceptualization of class, arguing that class is a contested category, one that is constituted by conflict, exclusion, and a hierarchical representation of interests. The "making" of class politics in India thus represents a continual process of reconstruction and conflict rather than a predefined teleology. In this process, it is maintained that both the structural and ideological/cultural components of class are constructed through the politics of gender and community.
Transnational Feminism in the United States, 2013
Transnational Feminism in the United States, 2013
Transnational Feminism in the United States, 2013
Journal of Gender Studies, 2014
Routledge Handbook of Contemporary India, 2015
University of Washington Press, 2022
Intensifying droughts and competing pressures on water resources foreground water scarcity as an ... more Intensifying droughts and competing pressures on water resources foreground water scarcity as an urgent concern of the global climate change crisis. In India, individual, industrial, and agricultural water demands exacerbate inequities of access and expose the failures of state governance to regulate use. State policies and institutions influenced by global models of reform produce and magnify socio-economic injustice in this "water bureaucracy."
Drawing on historical records, an analysis of post-liberalization developments, and fieldwork in the city of Chennai, Leela Fernandes traces the configuration of colonial historical legacies, developmental-state policies, and economic reforms that strain water resources and intensify inequality. While reforms of water governance promote privatization and decentralization, they strengthen the state centralized control over water through city-based development models. Understanding the political economy of water thus illuminates the consequent failures of the state within countries of the Global South.
Este artículo analiza la dinámica política de las pretensiones de la clase media de representar e... more Este artículo analiza la dinámica política de las pretensiones de la clase media de representar el interés público en la India contemporánea. Basándose en investigaciones realizadas en el periodo posterior a la liberalización del país, el artículo examina las formas en que el «carácter público» de las clases medias produce una relación distintiva entre este grupo social y el poder estatal. En el proceso, las clases medias se convierten en un vehículo para el ejercicio del poder estatal y pueden beneficiarse de esa relación. Las reivindicaciones de las clases medias sobre el interés público permiten a este grupo social dar forma a las respuestas y políticas gubernamentales. Esto permite a este grupo social acceder indirectamente al poder estatal y a los recursos materiales. El análisis del carácter público de las clases medias es fundamental para comprender la naturaleza de la desigualdad socioeconómica. El artículo se basa en un estudio de caso sobre la gobernanza urbana y los recursos hídricos en la India contemporánea a través de investigación y trabajo de campo cualitativo.