Alekhya (Baba) Das (Instructor)
Alekhya (Baba) Das is a doctoral candidate (‘ABD’) at the Department of Sociology, University of New Brunswick (Fredericton, Canada). The key subjects of Das’s research are: health-seeking behavior; patriarchy and women’s health; access and barriers to medical care institutions; culture, beliefs and practices affecting health status; women’s ailments in marginalised communities; reproductive and contraceptive practises; disease and healthiness in South Asia. The study area is a slum community of New Delhi (India); where Das has focused on the subjective understandings of the community (women and men), as well as, community social workers. In the research, Das has examined two main questions: (a) in slums of India, what is the nature of women’s health-seeking behaviour? (b) how do husbands/conjugality (and patriarchy in general) influence the health-seeking actions of these women? Das has utilized a qualitative research design; and in a yearlong fieldwork, Das has conducted focus-group discussions, interviews and participant observations. The major findings are: health seeking behavior of these women is a set of beliefs and practices where the body and bodily sensations are vital to the definition of health and illnesses. It also comprises of dualities like ‘minor’ versus ‘major’ ailments, and ‘internal’ versus ‘external’ ailments; which influences their choice of healthcare sources (which varies from authorised medical care to untrained local practitioners). With regards to their wives’ health status, the role of husbands is both complex and diverse; given that husbands’ role comprises of several distinct components. Moreover, there is a difference between the ‘preferred’ role versus the ‘actual’ role of husbands. Husbands’ contribution in the decision making steps of seeking healthcare; husbands’ awareness about women’s bodies and ailments; husbands’ involvement in the actual process of availing medical care – significantly affect women’s health status, in this community.
Das has also served as a part-time instructor for International Development Studies (IDS) Program [Faculty of Arts]. In this position, Das has taught courses on South Asia, international healthcare, international development, and, gender and health. Furthermore, Das was a researcher for the New Brunswick Human Rights Commission (NB, Canada). Here, Das had executed a ‘need-assessment’ study on the links between - human rights and immigrants, in New Brunswick province. Das also possesses more than 5 years of experience in non-profit / nongovernmental sector, in both, executive and research positions. Das has coordinated an international project aimed at street-based children in India & Bangladesh. For the same, Das has worked extensively amongst marginalized communities; concentrating on the themes of – self-help group (SHG) formation, vocational training, community sensitization, and non-formal education. In addition, Das had implemented a vast research program, aimed at detecting the social/economical/political factors behind child exploitation. It involved multiple methodologies (quantitative, focus-groups, secondary data & ethnographies). It led to a comprehensive report, which is a ‘best practice’ manual for working with street-based children in South Asia. Das’s academic training is in both Sociology as well as Anthropology. Das has a Masters and Bachelors degree in Sociology, from University of Delhi (India) and University of Calcutta (India) respectively.
Courses Taught:
- ANTH 3704 South Asia
- ANTH 4702 Gender & Health
- SOCI 4264 Healthcare in International Context
- SOCI 3523 Sociology of International Development
- POLS 6491 Topics in Comparative Politics
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