The Invisibility of Women's Labour in Family-Owned Firms
Research Description
My research is an intersectional examination of mistreatment, focussing on a specific type of mistreatment that minority group members experience, termed ‘invisibility', characterized by subtle acts of mistreatment that are typically not recognised as explicit or purposeful, such as not being heard in meetings or people forgetting one’s name, but nonetheless render one socially invisible. Traditional scholarship has treated the categories of gender and race as separate and homogenous. But feminists of color have critiqued the use of ‘women’ as representative of all women, since it typically captures the experiences of women who belong to the dominant group. This research attempts to parse out different experiences based on an individual’s membership in different social categories.
What does being a Public Scholar mean to you?
To me, being a public scholar means bridging the false dichotomy between the private sphere of the academy and the public sphere of 'the real world'. In other words, it allows me to tranform my academic research into a more accesible and widely available form. In addition, it also means that I am able to employ my research to perform the function of activism as well.
In what ways do you think the PhD experience can be re-imagined with the Public Scholars Initiative?
The PSI is the perfect platform to transform the PhD experience by allowing researchers to think beyond a traditional career. It is also a wonderful way to engage with like-minded others and collectively create novel ways of examining and disseminating knowledge.
How do you envision connecting your PhD work with broader career possibilities?
The PSI has opened me up to alternative career possibilities post a PhD, and I hope that this journey we are embarking on together will further shape my thoughts on the same.
How does your research engage with the larger community and social partners?
The overarching goal of the project is to make meaningful social contributions in the area of women's participation in paid work, and attempt to drive changes that ensure that their work is recognised and appropriately rewarded. This will be done by putting in place tangible systems for building long-term community support and capacity building opportunities for young women in India and mobilise resources for them to gain financial autonomy.
Why did you decide to pursue a graduate degree?
I have been working on the issues of gender and public policy for the past few years, and I wanted the opportunity to engage in a formal pursuit of research in this field, especially in terms of how women of colour negotiate traditionally gendered and racialised spaces such as maistream workplaces.
Why did you choose to come to British Columbia and study at UBC?
My primary motive to study at UBC was to work with my advisor, Dr Jennifer Berdahl, who is a pioneer in the field of diversity research in the workplace. I also wanted the opportunity to engage with global voices in the field of diversity, and I feel UBC provides me that platform.
The overarching goal of the project is to make meaningful social contributions in the area of women's participation in paid work, and attempt to drive changes that ensure that their work is recognised and appropriately rewarded.
