Sapana Doshi
Graduate Student
BA 1997 (Economics) Barnard College, Columbia Univ., NYC
Regional focus: South Asia (Possible later comparative work in Brazil)
Most broadly I study the nexus of cultural politics and political economy in global cities of the developing world. My current research focuses on the local and global agents and processes of slum and infrastructure redevelopment in Mumbai (Bombay). I am especially interested in the embodied experience of displacement and resettlement due to redevelopment projects in informal settlements; specifically I am grappling with the emerging role that gender and identity plays in struggles over claiming and transforming urban space.
Personal interests
When I am “in the field,” my research allows me to indulge in something I love to do anyway: walk, interact and feel the ins and outs and many characters of cities that move me. Before grad school, I spent several years living and working in Northeastern Brazil and New York City, the places closest to my heart along with Bombay. I’ve also been known to dabble in a bit of community theatre in the Bay Area when time permits. Wherever I am, I count on dance, good food and long conversations with the inspiring people that are my best friends and colleagues.
