Urban Poverty

An analysis of select Sicilian matrimonial trials allows for the reconstruction of the histories of women who courageously denounced violence, mistreatment, and rape, or who declared that they had married per vim et metum, or had been abandoned by their husbands without financial support. Both noblewomen and common women made their voices heard, succeeding in obtaining the annulment of intolerable marriages, though at times they succumbed as victims of cruelty and abuse. Adultery, bigamy, violence, and rape are recurring cases within these records—allegations that offer insight into the intimacy of the couple, the sphere of sexuality, and overt transgressions, manifest not only in male behavior but also in that of women brought to the dock as adulteresses and bigamists.

Este texto es el prólogo del libro "La crisis de lo doméstico y de lo público en tiempos de pandemia" de Patricia Ramírez Kuri y Yutzil Tania Cadena Pedraza, que debate sobre la erosión de la dimensión política del espacio público y la intensificación del espacio privado, que profundizó la pandemia y el capitalismo digital que tiende a uberizar no sólo las relaciones capital trabajo, sino también la relación producción consumo.

The rise of microfinance is lauded for its potential to uplift underserved communities, promising to stabilise household incomes, empower women, and broaden access to vital services. While numerous studies support its outreach to marginalised populations, concerns have emerged regarding its impact. Though intended to aid those in poverty, microfinance sometimes exposes borrowers to the risk of falling into debt traps. Our study aims to assess whether microfinance improves the Quality of Life (QoL) of borrowers and if this improvement is sustainable. Focusing on tea garden workers in Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri, we analyse data from 150 participants. While initially enhancing living standards, microfinance's effect on long-term poverty alleviation is complex, akin to a double-edged sword: it aids in escaping poverty but can also escalate debt burdens. While microfinance provides crucial credit access to the poor, the ease of access to borrowing, particularly for non-productive purposes, raises concerns about entrapment in debt cycles. Balancing its benefits and risks is vital to ensuring sustained effectiveness in poverty reduction.

Household welfare is a big concern to all countries particularly in developing countries. However, if the aim of studying is not only improving the well-being of households who are currently poor, but also preventing people from becoming poor in the future, a new forward-looking perspective must be adopted. This study is applied descriptive statistics and binary logit model to investigate the impact of living in privately rented house on household poverty status (proxy to welfare) the logistic regression model has as dependent variable the poverty status (poor and non-poor). This study is based on cross section data. The result of the econometric model indicates that households living in privately rented house is significantly 3.571 times more likely currently poor than owner households; the married couples was found to be 5.228 times more likely poor compared to single household heads; income of the household negatively and household size positively and an education attainment of the household significantly negatively affect the household poverty status.

To establish the level of awareness of occupational safety & hazards among the blue collars in Pakistan, the subject study is undertaken in this thesis. Occupational safety measures are strictly followed in developed countries as recommended by NIOSH.
These are also growing in developing countries despite the fact that their scope is not as large as it is in the developed world. Traumatic state of occupational safety in Pakistani factories forced the author to undertake the study of workers and the working conditions. Idea is to educate the worker against the work-related hazards and suggesting least
occupational safety measures using widely followed Domino theory. The layout of this thesis is the following: Chapter 1 reviews and defines various
terminologies that are used in the subject of occupational safety. Chapter 2 reviews the literature leading to the Domino theory. Domino theory and benefit to the worker are thoroughly discussed. Chapter 3 describes the tools and techniques adopted in this thesis for the data collection, interpretation and analysis for the investigation of subject study
that will be used in chapter 4 in fact. Chapter 4 discusses the core work of this thesis. Starting with the characteristics of respondents, this chapter not only analyse the level of safety, the level of awareness on occupational safety among the factory workers but also describes the behaviour of factory mangers or owners towards this subject. Various factories including Aluminium factory, Iron re-rolling mills, Flour mills, Grid station and Oil and gas services have been taken as case studies done by the author during field survey of formal and informal industrial units. This field work is greatly helped the author in quantification various qualitative
characteristics of the subject and led to establish the level of awareness regarding occupational safety in Pakistan that have been covered finally in Chapter 5 where we conclude the study in terms of recommendation and guidelines that may be followed to create the awareness of occupational safety in Pakistan

This project was only possible due to the commitment of the large, multidisciplinary group of academics and researchers across the Bloomsbury Colleges at the University of London. In addition to the team that has collaborated to produce this volume, we would like to thank all the contributors to the project over its 18-month lifespan, whose ideas have helped to shape our response to developments in the international post-2015 agenda, and shaped a new space for interdisciplinary discussion and collaboration. We are very thankful to University College London Grand Challenges for supporting this project and particularly to Helen Hopkins, Sarah Chaytor, and Kate Hoyland for their invaluable inputs and endless patience. We are also very grateful to Sam Mardell and Anna Marry at the London International Development Centre for their constant support and assistance through every stage of the project.

Many donor agencies are recognizing the need to address the growing levels of urban poverty in Africa, Latin America and much of Asia. Many also acknowledge that they had under-estimated the scale of urban poverty. As they develop or expand programmes on poverty reduction in urban areas, there are many remarkable initiatives on whose experience they can draw. This paper reflects on the lessons from seven of these: three from Asia, three from Latin America and one from Africa. All these initiatives combined direct action by low-income groups themselves, working with local NGOs, with some support negotiated from one or more external agency in order to improve housing and living conditions, basic services and livelihoods. Each initiative sought to make limited funding go as far as possible-and most achieved partial or total cost recovery for some (or all) of their interventions. All used credit to allow low-income groups to spread the cost of capital investment over a number of years. ...

Rural to urban migration is rampant in India. Cities that are Petri dishes for rapid neo-liberal development can be unforgiving places for the vulnerable migrant population. The question we are looking forward to answering here is, how does neoliberal development in the cities affect and shape the lived experience of the vulnerable in-migrants in the growing cities of India? To explore this question, we have taken the case of migrant women to waste pickers who originate from Barpeta, Assam, and have settled in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. These women are placed at the lowest link in the hierarchy of power and economic structures in the urban spaces. They have been working for years, contributing significantly to the waste management of cities by segregation, cleaning, and recycling waste. Under the changing forms of governance, they have been facing a threat to their livelihoods. The paper is based on qualitative data collected through a field study conducted between December 2018 and December 2020 in villages in Barpeta as well as in slums in Lucknow inhabited by these Bengali-speaking Muslim migrants from Barpeta in Lower Assam. Data for this study were collected through the survey (n = 200) including semi-structured interviews (n = 100), follow-up visits (n = 70), and focus group discussions and case studies (n = 30). This paper is an attempt to present a gendered perspective on the trials and tribulations of women waste pickers and their place in the expeditious city space. In addition to the modality of statecraft, we have also explored various social, political, and economic dynamics that further affect them. Based on the findings that emerge from the qualitative data collected from the field, the paper has concluded with some policy recommendations that will help improve the lives of these women waste pickers.

This paper is based on the findings from the field survey conducted in Barpeta and Lucknow between June 2017 and May 2018. The objective is to know the reasons and background of migration of approximately more than 90,000 people who have been migrating from Barpeta to Lucknow for last two decades. All are Bengali Muslims (of East Bengal origin) coming from Lower Assam who are called Miya Muslims. In order to analyse the objectives and test the hypotheses, the logistic model has been used. The results indicate that income prospects and ownership of land in Assam are important variables among other variables to decide the course of outmigration. The study group in discussion is often perceived as illegal immigrants entering Assam from bordering Bangladesh and is labelled as Bangladeshis in and outside Assam. There is an urgent need for state intervention to improve their condition and recognize them in the mainstream development policies.

A continuación, se presenta un trabajo académico de reflexión sobre algunos elementos encontrados en un ejercicio investigativo, llevado a cabo en el marco del Proyecto “Gestión de los Recursos Naturales en las Cuencas del Chocó: Rol de las Organizaciones Étnicas en el Desarrollo socioeconómico y preservación ambiental: Un estudio de Caso para el
Departamento del Chocó, Colombia.

En este apartado se comparte la aproximación del estudiante al tema de investigación, cuyo primer momento se circunscribe a una revisión documental, que permite sensibilizar al joven con el tema objeto de estudio, lo cual derivó
en la consulta de informes, datos, artículos y documentos. El ejercicio investigativo, pudo evidenciar la importancia de tema, hecho que coincidió con la realización de la COP16 en Colombia y por ello, se hace una relación entre la agenda global y la realidad territorial del Chocó.

Paper is a peer-review work. It is aimed at disseminating academic writing of the staff members and students of the Department Agricultural and Resource Economics in the fields of agricultural economics, agribusiness, and natural resource and environmental economics.

This paper advances the concept of the untitled city as a political technology through which states convert the absence of land recognition into an instrument of governance, producing civic invisibility, chronic tenure precarity, and the systematic attenuation of citizenship. Drawing on my concept note and an interdisciplinary body of scholarship spanning land titling, tenure security, and urban informality, the paper synthesises empirical evidence and comparative insights from Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Ethiopia, and Latin America to illuminate how the withholding of title operates not as an administrative omission but as a deliberate modality of rule. The analysis develops an integrated framework that situates titling within broader dynamics of political economy, institutional integrity, and advocacy ecosystems, arguing that the governance of land cannot be disentangled from the governance of political voice. The argument is anchored in two central lines from the concept note: "They are the untitled city: a deliberate system of invisibility, where the absence of recognition is not oversight but strategy, and where the denial of title is the denial of citizenship itself. The absence of title is not a bureaucratic hiccup; it is the deliberate construction of civic invisibility." These formulations provide the conceptual scaffolding for reinterpreting titling not as a narrow technical or administrative challenge but as a democratic imperative. By foregrounding the political intentionality embedded in the production of informality, the paper reframes the untitled city as a site where citizenship is negotiated, constrained, and, at times, strategically withheld. In doing so, it proposes a phased, participatory, and anti-capture reform agenda capable of transforming precarious, socially negotiated forms of "felt security" into durable, legally enforceable rights without reproducing new forms of dispossession.

Mekânın öznel deneyimi belirleyen etkisinin sorunsallaştırıldığı bu
çalışma, Kayseri kentinin mekânsal yapılanmasında belirleyici hâle gelen
pratiklere ilişkin eleştirel bir okumanın devamıdır. Okuma nesneye
ilişkindir, ancak bu kentsel yapılanma deneyimin somut karşılığı olarak ele
alındığında normatif sınırların gücüne işaret ettiği iddia edilebilmektedir.
Böylece çalışma mekânın üretilmesi sorunsalı üzerinden bir çözümleme
sürecine yönelir. Bu çözümleme Michel Foucault’nun özneleş[tir]me ve
iktidar ilişkileri analizi temelinde ele alınmaktadır. Özne ve nesnenin bir
pratiğin içinde aynı anda kurulduğunu ve karşılıklı olarak dönüştüğünü
ileri süren bu ilişkisel bakış, problem alanını koşullar ve pratikleri
kapsayacak şekilde genişletmektedir. Foucault’nun söylem analizinden
hareketle, mekânda iktidar-bilgi etkisini; yani mevcut pratiklerin hangi
bilme etkileri ve normatif sınırların devamı olduğunun ortaya konulması
amaçlanmaktadır. Bu doğrultuda verili deneyimler, söylem oluşumlarının
analizini içeren soybilimsel bir tarih anlayışıyla bugünden geriye giderek
çözümlenmektedir. Kayseri kentinin erken Cumhuriyet döneminden 1989
yılına uzanan tarihsel sürecinde, pratiklerin ve nesne alanlarının analizi
yoluyla, iktidar-bilginin mekân üzerindeki etkisi ortaya konulmaktadır.
Kentte, tarihsel olarak koşullandırılan deneyimin söylemsel, arkitektonik
ve kentsel formlarda somut hâle geldiği bir çözümleme yapılabilmektedir.
Farklı tarihsel dönemlerde mekânın üretilmesi sorunsalı çeşitli
özneleş[tir]me süreçlerini de yapılandırmıştır. Ancak normatif sistemlerin
içerikleri bağlamında farklı motivasyonlarla üretilmiş olsalar da,
mevcut/eski olanın değersizleştirildiği belirli bir söylem biçimi, pratiğin normalleşmiş kalıplarını üretmiştir. Bu nedenle öznenin değerler
sisteminde ve kendilik pratiklerindeki dönüşüme ilişkin bir süreklilik
kurmak mümkündür. Çalışma için hayati olan da bu pratiklerin tarihsel
dönemleri aşarak, kentin mevcut durumunu belirleyen etkisidir. Kentte
insan ve mekân arasındaki ilişkinin stratejik söylem-pratik kalıpları olarak
dispozitiflerle örtülmüş olduğu ve güncel eğilimleri ürettiği sonucuna
varılmaktadır. Ancak bu yaklaşım, tarihsel sınırları tartışmak ve aşmak
üzere; kentsel mekâna müdahaleyi ontolojik bir ilişki bağlamında ele
almak gerekliliğine vurgu yapmaktadır: Mekânın üretilmesi sorunsalının
hangi stratejik-yönlendirici ve özneleştirici etkileri taşıdığını göz önünde
bulundurmak, öznel deneyim ve tasarım pratiklerinin üretim olanağı için
önemlidir.

Food security is one of the foundational responsibilities of a modern welfare state. In India, the Public Distribution System (PDS) and Fair Price Shops (FPS) were established to ensure that economically vulnerable citizens receive essential food commodities at subsidized prices. Although the system has achieved large-scale outreach, persistent structural weaknesses continue to affect its effectiveness at the grassroots level. These weaknesses include diversion of food grains into black markets, weak accountability mechanisms, irregular distribution, poor-quality food grains, inadequate monitoring, and citizen inaccessibility. This article examines the practical realities of food distribution systems in India, particularly at the last-mile delivery stage. It argues that food security should not be evaluated merely through policy declarations or administrative records, but through the actual delivery of safe, sufficient, and dignified food to the final citizen. The paper proposes a citizen-centric reform model based on digital verification, sealed packet distribution, mobile delivery logistics, quality assurance, transparent accountability, and decentralized monitoring. The proposed framework aims to reduce food grain leakage, prevent corruption, minimize wastage, strengthen public trust, and move toward the larger social objective of a hunger-free India.

Apabila diurut ke belakang, jauh sebelumnya sudah banyak sejumlah aliran keagamaan sempalan di Indonesia, yang mungkin karena struktur masyarakat muslim Indonesia yang heterogen dan sikap akomodatif masyarakat muslim menyebabkan aliran-aliran keagamaan sempalan tersebut mudah diterima hingga tumbuh subur dan berkembang. Oleh karena itu, kajian ini akan melihat pergulatan posisional aliran-aliran keagamaan Islam sempalan dari perpektif sosiologi agama. Ini merupakan refleksi sosiologis atas perkembangan aliran-aliran keagamaan di tanah air tercinta ini.

This critical policy ethnography analyzes the McKinney-Vento Act and how the policy is put into practice at a school district within Central Texas. Data comes from conversations with educators occupying key roles within the McKinney-Vento operational bureaucracy at the school district and the researcher's experience as an educator and volunteer at a homeless shelter. Analysis was informed by an ethic of care framework and a historiography was created to chronicle the policy's genealogy, intent, and guiding values. The findings are presented in a deliberate effort to put a human face to some of those the policy impacts. Major findings and recommendations include a need for increased awareness and compliance, monitoring of the policy, as well as an investment of additional resources to adequately respond to McKinney-Vento issues within the district.

This document was prepared by Enrique Valencia Lomelí, consultant with the Social Development Division of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), David Foust Rodríguez and Darcy Tetreault Weber, researchers with the University of Guadalajara, and is part of the series of studies on "Social Protection Systems in Latin America and the Caribbean", edited by Simone Cecchini, Social Affairs Officer, and Claudia Robles, consultant with the same Division. Luna Gámez and Daniela Huneeus, consultants, provided editorial assistance. Humberto Soto and Astrid Rojas provided valuable comments. The document was produced as part of the activities of the project "Strengthening social protection" (ROA/149-7) and "Strengthening regional knowledge networks to promote the effective implementation of the United Nations development agenda and to assess progress" (ROA 161-7), financed by the United Nations Development Account. Printing of this publication was made possible by the contribution of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and the Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany (BMZ), in the framework of the project "Social covenant for more inclusive social protection" of the ECLAC/BMZ-GIZ cooperation programme "Promoting low-carbon development and social cohesion in Latin America and the Caribbean" (GER/12/006). The opinions expressed in this document, which has been reproduced without formal editing, are the sole responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Organization.

Street-connected and out-of-school youth are one of the most vulnerable groups in urban slums of LMICs, who are characterized by multiple intersecting factors that hinder them in accessing employment, education, and social inclusion. The present narrative review focuses on the types of skills training interventions, the barriers to participation, the quality of the training delivered, and sustainability of the interventions, with a particular focus on the population in question. The academic literature and gray sources were comprehensively searched to find 37 relevant studies between 2000-2024 related to Technical and Vocational Training, entrepreneurship development, life skills and digital literacy programmes. Although there are various approaches to intervention (such as targeted vocational training, microenterprise projects, or psychosocial support), research indicates that training without tackling structural issues such as poverty, gender-based vulnerabilities, social exclusion, and labour market constraints is not enough. Effective interventions show the integration of several components, such as psychosocial support, livelihood linkages, and mentorship. But there are still major gaps in research on sustainability, disability coverage, gender-specific results, and context-specific effectiveness in urban informal settlements. The review is unanimous that a combination of skills and structural interventions is required to transform the situation of this very marginalised group.

Rapid urbanization in emerging economies continues to outpace the evolution of urban water governance, resulting in persistent service inequities, resource degradation, and low resilience to climate risks. Although SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) provide an integrated global framework for addressing these challenges, empirical evidence on the extent to which multi-level governance arrangements enable or hinder their achievement remains scarce. This study evaluates the effectiveness of urban water governance and its alignment with SDG 6 and SDG 11 in three rapidly growing secondary cities in Southeast Asia-Bandung (Indonesia), Cebu (Philippines), and Da Nang (Vietnam). Employing a mixed-methods design, the research integrates an adapted OECD Water Governance Principles framework, stakeholder mapping, semi-structured interviews with 87 actors across scales, content analysis of 132 policy documents (2015-2024), and a quantitative SDG alignment index comprising 24 indicators. Findings expose critical governance deficits: high institutional fragmentation (6-11 agencies with overlapping mandates per city), weak vertical policy coordination (only 28-41% of national strategies effectively localized), limited inclusivity of marginalized groups, and chronic under-financing (infrastructure investment meeting <45% of needs).

Article type: Research Article While cities face numerous challenges, the most important problem that threatens them is poverty. The existence of poverty in cities has led to the emergence of social, economic, and physical issues, creating problems in the sustainability and development of these cities. The aim of this research is to investigate, identify, and analyze the spatial zones of poverty in economic, social, and physical dimensions at the level of statistical blocks of Ilam city. The present research is descriptiveanalytical in nature and applied in purpose. The data used were obtained from the statistical blocks of the Statistical Center of Iran in 2016. The indicators used in this research were examined in three dimensions: economic, social, and physical. In order to spatially analyze the zones of poverty in Ilam city, the Hot Spot Analysis technique using the Getis-Ord Gi index in the Arc GIS software environment was used. The results of the urban poverty index integration show that 16.58 percent of the area of Ilam city is located in poor and highly poor areas. The highest concentration of these areas is in the Ban Barz and Sabzi Abad districts (Region 2). Additionally, some of these areas are scattered in the Governorate, Hanivan, Tepe Shahed, Markazi (Region 1), Nowruz Abad (Region 3), and Azadegan (Region 4), indicating the existence of poverty spots in other parts of the city. A total of 21.4 percent of the area of Ilam city is located in affluent areas. These are mostly located in the areas behind the Iranian Broadcasting Corporation, Pich Ashouri and Shad Abad (Region 3), and Razmandegan and Janbazan (Region 4). A total of 62.02 percent of the city area is located in the medium urban poverty zone and is scattered in all areas of the city, especially in Region 1.

Colombia-gathered as members of grassroots organizations of waste-pickers, also known as pepenadores, cartoneros, cirujas, clasifi cadores, buceadores, guajeros, minadores, catadores, thawis, barequeros and countless other denominations according to where they come from.

El artículo examina las principales medidas del gobierno de La Libertad Avanza durante su primer año de gestión y sus efectos sobre el empleo, los ingresos, las transferencias no contributivas y el
endeudamiento de los hogares. La administración de Javier Milei implementó un ajuste fiscal equivalente a aproximadamente 5 puntos porcentuales del PIB, a través de la “licuadora” —reducción en términos reales de salarios, haberes previsionales y programas sociales— y la
“motosierra” —recortes en obra pública, transferencias a provincias, subsidios a servicios públicos y empleo estatal—. El impacto de esta política fue socialmente regresivo, con un marcado deterioro de
la protección social, con la excepción de las transferencias a hogares con niños, niñas y adolescentes (NNA). En este contexto, la pobreza alcanzó máximos históricos, especialmente en hogares con NNA, aunque retrocedió en el segundo semestre de 2024. El endeudamiento se
consolidó como estrategia clave de supervivencia en los sectores más vulnerables, mientras los de mayores ingresos pudieron mejorar sus condiciones de vida, accediendo al crédito para consumo durable e inversión.

This study examines how the " Jang Wan Kha" project, an employment-based intervention initiated by an NGO in Bangkok, Thailand, contributes to community resilience among homeless populations. Using a qualitative case study approach and in-depth interviews with the project leader and post-homeless participants, the research identifies four key strategies that support collective resilience: (1) Capacity for building a new mode of social reproduction, (2) Provision of care and its abeyance effects, (3) Leveraging political connections with state support, and (4) Being a strategic actor in influencing state intentions. These interrelated strategies show how grassroots initiatives not only provide basic services but also foster mutual support networks, adaptive capacities, and long-term stability within vulnerable communities. Framed through the lens of community resilience, the study emphasizes how NGO-led interventions enable bottom-up responses to the homeless issues, especially in contexts where formal welfare structures are limited. Beyond the Thai context, these findings may offer insights for other Global South contexts, though they remain grounded in the Bangkok case highlighting the potential for NGOs to bridge critical gaps in state provision and contribute to more inclusive, collaborative forms of urban governance.

This study investigated the effect of inflation on household consumption pattern in high density areas in Lusaka, Zambia. A mixed-methods design was used, conducting surveys amongst 100 households in various high-density areas to explore three specific aims: the effect of inflation on the purchasing of food options and the number of meals per day, housing preferences were identified. The results in this study suggest that inflationary rate influenced what people ate, all (100%) respondents were unable to purchase some particular food items due to increase in price. With regards to number of meals consumed, 55% of the respondents said there was a change in meal consumption caused by inflation. Further, significant relationships were confirmed statistically (F=92.16; P-value =3.69; for Food types and F=119.42; P-value= 4.68; for type of Meal frequency). In addition, 86% changed their principal types of shopping locations where they shop (76% currently use open markets instead of supermarkets like Soweto). Regression analysis conducted within this study revealed an absence of a statistically significant correlation between the location of shopping venues and the frequency of consumer visits, as evidenced by the output (F=0.68, p=0.41). Concurrently, the investigation concluded that inflation exerts a substantial influence on household consumption patterns in areas characterized by high population density. This observation emphasizes the urgent necessity for governmental
intervention, which could be operationalized through the implementation of price stabilization measures, the provision of tax relief on essential food items, and the enhancement of collaboration between monetary authorities and the Bank of Zambia to mitigate fluctuations in the exchange rate.

Keywords: Inflation. Household Consumption, Food Security, High-Density Areas,  Lusaka

Squatter settlements, known in Nepal as Sukumbasi, represent one of the most persistent and politically entangled challenges in the urban landscape of the Kathmandu Valley. This non-doctrinal research study, titled "A Study on Addressing the Squatters' Dilemma: Challenges and Solutions in the Kathmandu Valley," undertakes a comprehensive examination of the root causes, legal frameworks, implementation gaps, and viable solutions pertaining to squatter communities in four major settlement areas — Thapathali, Balaju, Balkhu, and Santinagar.
The study is grounded in both primary and secondary data. Primary data was gathered through closed-ended questionnaires administered to 85 squatter community members, along with semi-structured interviews conducted with key institutional stakeholders — including officials from the Kathmandu Metropolitan City, Kathmandu Valley Development Authority (KVDA), the High-Powered Committee for Integrated Development of Bagmati Civilization (HPCIDBC), the Land-Related Problem-Solving Commission, UN-Habitat Nepal, and the Lumanti Support Group for Shelters. Secondary data was drawn from national legislation, international legal instruments, court decisions, and established academic literature.
The research reveals that squatter settlements in Kathmandu have grown significantly since the 1950s, driven by rural-to-urban migration, the Maoist conflict, political instability, and structural inequalities in land ownership rooted in Nepal's feudal history. Despite the formation of nineteen successive commissions since the restoration of multiparty democracy in 1991, the squatter problem remains largely unresolved. The study finds that these commissions have been systematically undermined by excessive politicization, lack of transparency, frequent governmental changes, and a fundamental absence of community participation in planning and decision-making.
From the legal dimension, the research identifies that while international instruments such as the UDHR, ICESCR, the Habitat Agenda, and SDG Goal 11 provide guiding frameworks on the right to adequate housing, Nepal's domestic legal provisions — particularly Sections 52A, 52B, and 52C of the Land Act, 2021 (as amended) — remain narrowly focused on land distribution and fail to address in-situ development or housing-based solutions adequately. The constitutional provisions under Articles 25, 37, and 40 protect housing rights in general terms but insufficiently account for the complex realities of urban squatter settlements.
Empirical findings from the field expose deep levels of community pessimism: 82.69% of respondents believe the government has no genuine willingness to resolve their situation, and 100% demand assurance of long-term tenure or ownership security as the primary solution. Barriers to relocating to the Raniban government housing project — including lack of basic facilities, inadequate space for joint families, and uncertainty of tenure — underscore the failure of top-down resettlement approaches developed without meaningful stakeholder consultation.
The study concludes that a fundamental shift in approach is urgently required. It advocates for the establishment of a permanent, independent, and politically neutral authority with a clear integrated mandate covering both land and housing. The proposed framework prioritizes on-site development as a first resort, followed by land occupancy certificates, proximity-sensitive resettlement, and — only as a last measure — forced eviction. Preventing future encroachment through structural reforms in land valuation, loan mechanisms, and land auction policies is equally emphasized.
This research contributes to the discourse on urban housing rights, offering evidence-based and community-centered recommendations for policymakers, practitioners, and civil society actors committed to equitable urban development in Nepal.

The subject of this text is an attempt to distinguish between luxury items and those associated with lower status within the context of the table and kitchen in Wrocław and Prague, based on ceramic and wooden products. The study is primarily based on previously unpublished artifacts discovered in Wrocław, cross-referenced with analogous finds from Prague, dated from the 15th to the 18th century. Wrocław and Prague serve as case studies for exploring the possibility of capturing differences in daily life within major Central European cities during the late Middle Ages and the early modern period.

Rural-to-urban migration has been one of the most significant socio-economic transformations in Türkiye. Women have been actors directly affected by this transformation. This study examines women’s migration experiences through qualitative historical analysis based on secondary data sources,
including statistics from the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK), policy documents, and existing literature. Rather than treating gender as a singular analytical category, the study adopts an intersectionality framework to examine multi-layered processes across different historical periods. Accordingly, the analysis is structured through a historical periodization covering key phases: the mass rural-to-urban migration following the 1950s, the neoliberal restructuring of the 1980s and 1990s, and the post-2000 period. Women’s experiences of migration are not uniform but are differentiated through intersecting structural positions. Gecekondu (squatter) settlements emerge as critical sites where traditional gender norms are both reproduced and reshaped under urban conditions, reflecting the intersection of spatial marginality and patriarchal relations. Since the 1980s, neoliberal economic policies have intensified women’s concentration in informal, low-paid, and precarious forms of employment, affecting those positioned at the intersections of class and ethnic disadvantages. In the post-2000 period, despite increasing access to education and greater urban visibility, structural inequalities persist, limiting women’s equal and secure participation in urban life and labor markets.

In “Morning at the Window”, T.S. Eliot presents a glimpse of urban life in Edwardian England in the early twentieth century, as he experiences it while sitting at his window exposed to a busy street in London on a foggy morning. He confirms his awareness of human presence in the surroundings based on the noises he hears.

The rapid expansion of social media has significantly transformed political communication and electoral campaigning across the world. While extensive research has examined the influence of digital platforms in national and state-level elections, relatively limited attention has been given to their role in local electoral processes. This study investigates the extent to which social media influences voter awareness, engagement, and decision-making in municipal (Nagar Palika) elections in Jaunpur city of Uttar Pradesh, India. Adopting a positivist research philosophy and a deductive research approach, the study employs a cross-sectional survey design using a structured questionnaire administered to a purposive sample of 25 eligible voters. The collected data were analysed using descriptive statistics, primarily the percentage method. The findings reveal that WhatsApp and Facebook are the most widely used platforms among respondents, with the majority spending two to four hours daily on social media. However, despite high levels of digital usage, engagement with local political leaders remains extremely limited, as most respondents do not follow their municipal representatives online. Consequently, social media currently exerts minimal direct influence on voting decisions at the municipal level. Nevertheless, among the smaller group of citizens who do follow local leaders online, social media presence appears to influence perceptions of leadership performance. The study highlights a paradox of high social media usage but low digital political engagement at the grassroots level and suggests that greater online interaction between municipal leaders and citizens could strengthen local democratic participation.

This report provides an in-depth analysis of Joe Flood's seminal 1997 paper, "Urban and Housing Indicators," which documents the historical development, methodology, and global application of urban and housing indicators through the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (UNCHS, Habitat) Indicators Programme. The report synthesizes the key themes, findings, and implications of Flood's work, with a particular focus on the historical evolution of social and urban indicators, the role and mandate of the UNCHS Indicators Programme in the lead-up to the Habitat II Conference, the methodology for indicator development, and the structure and content of the indicator system. Special attention is given to the eight modules of the indicator system, the regional distribution of data collection, and the outcomes of the Habitat II Conference. The report also explores ongoing work, future directions, and the policy implications of the indicators for urban policy, housing, infrastructure, and governance. Tables and figures from the original document are reproduced and interpreted to provide a comprehensive understanding of the global urban indicators landscape as of the late 1990s, with reflections on subsequent developments.

This is a Copilot review of my 1997 Housing Indicators main paper, done to see what sort of a job AI could manage. This was a fairly straightforward paper, but I must say it's the best review I've ever had, this Professor Copilot really knows his stuff. It's enough to make me warm to the whole idea. :-)

South Africa's present day configuration of poverty and inequality bears overriding racial and gender dimensions as a result of the country's history. The distortions created by the now defunct apartheid system are still visible and continue to perpetuate poverty in South Africa, reducing people's ability to improve their standard of living. This article provides a historical review of the impact which theapartheid system had on urban poverty in South Africa. Three aspects of apartheid policy that caused black urban poverty are highlighted, namely racially enforced relocations, the nature of housing provision for blacks, the character and regulation of urbanisation.

Résumé
&HW DUWLFOH WUDLWH GH FH TX·LO FRQYLHQW G·DSSHOHU Hinfluenceuses, une catégorie de personnages qui se sont
construits des figures multifaces sur les réseaux socionumériques, avec un dénominateur commun : se mettre en
scène en direction des publics followers accrochés à leur (s)
UpFLW V GH YLH O·DIILFKDJH GX 6RL HW G·XQ © être » sous la
forme de « bonheur montré ». Par leurs sur-expositions, ces
e-influenceuses réussissent, à partir des discursivités
sociales de leurs messages et contenus divers, à fasciner et à
ILQDOHPHQWDWWLUHUOHUHJDUGG·XQHFRPPXQDXWpTXLGpSDVVH
la société numérique, pour atteindre les autres sphères
sociales. Et pourtant, leurs parcours, leurs habitudes
sociales ainsi que leurs réalités ontologiques, assises sur des
ILJXUHVG·LOOXVLRQVRQWHVVHQWLHOOHPHQWTXHVWLRQQDEOHV
Mots clés : bonheur, figures, illusion/imaginaires,
réseaux socio-numériques, e-influence, régimes de sens
Abstract
This paper decipes what should be called women e-influencers, a
category of figures who have constructed multi-faceted characters on
social media networks, with a common denominator: showing
themselves for followers audiences hooked on their storytelling,
displaying their Self and and "being" in the form of "happiness
shown". Through their over-exhibition, these women e-influencers
succeed in using the social discursivity of their differents messages and
content to fascinate and finaly, attract the attention of a community
that goes beyond "digital society" to other social spheres. However, their
pathways, their social patterns as well as their ontological realities,
based on figures of illusion, are essentially questionable.
Key words: happiness, figures, illusion/imaginaries, social
media networks, e-influence, regimes of meaning

Contemporary India is showing increasing signs of ‘competitive’ authoritarian populism (Levitsky and Way, 2010). The mainstream political discourse in the country is dominated by the sectarian religious forces of Hindu nationalism or Hindutva, serving as the agency of a development narrative that promises to return India to its ‘greatness of yore’. In this paper, we examine the case of Noida, an upcoming satellite township adjacent to the capital New Delhi, to describe a process of spatial upheaval that is leading to continuous practices of ‘othering’. These processes are enabling the Hindutva forces to take root locally. In effect, we argue that local space-making has an intrinsic relationship with authoritarian populism, and it therefore needs to be at the analytical forefront.

The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. The publisher remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. The publisher remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

One of the most serious problems facing humanity is poverty. Global economic recessions force every society or country to think seriously and develop new strategies to survive. Turkey, within the framework of the strategies it has developed, should use Social Studies education in the right way for both national and economic liberation. This study assesses the role of Social Studies Education in promoting poverty reduction/elimination in Turkey. It also highlights the concept, nature and scope of Social Studies and discusses some of the objectives of Social Studies for poverty alleviation. The paper goes on to identify some of the objectives of poverty alleviation and job creation programmes, discusses how Social Studies education supports poverty alleviation and makes some recommendations.

Considerations of the self in ethnography have taken on various forms, including reportage of how the researcher gained access to a field site as well as achieved rapport with those who were the focus of study. I contend here that there exists a less well-recognized form of selfhood in ethnography that pertains to the moral self of the ethnographer. This self reflects the sociopolitical or aesthetic orientation taken by the ethnographer of the problem that has framed the research endeavor resulting in the ethnographic product. Through assessments of the work of some ethnographers, including myself, who study people in social categories in which the ethnographer holds membership, this essay explores that dimension of the ethnographer's moral self. Ethnographers simply cannot hide from their work. In the course of reading an ethnography, their visibility surfaces as readers consistently ask themselves, "Who is the author of this work?" That question really is a cover for a variety of related questions that concern readers' reflections about the purpose and intentions of the author, including: "Who is the person that gained access to this setting and what might this mean for the kind of work that was produced?" "Who is that person that was in dialogue with the research participants and what implications might this have for the work that was produced?" and "Who is that person that is describing the scene, or interpreting the behaviors and thoughts of the people under ethnographic study, and what might this mean for the work that was produced?" The visibility that researchers experience is a unique and particular quality of the craft of ethnography. Intense preoccupation with these questions is understandable because ethnography reveals itself to its audience through narrative. Thus, the storytelling nature of this tradition places the researcher/author-in effect, the storyteller-at the forefront of the readers' attention. Such concerns may not easily arise in other branches of sociology, especially demography or survey research, where reporting on findings takes a less personalized form. In those approaches, the data remain primary points of emphasis as they are presented in the form of tables and graphs. This imagery holds attention beyond and above the voice of the author who is communicating these findings represented in them. A particular property of ethnography, then, is that the self-meaning the author's self-is of paramount interest.