Slums During COVID-19: Exploring the Unlocked Paradoxes

Abstract

The study took an ethnographic approach, which relied on researchers participating in the study setting, to document the patterns of social interaction and the perspectives of participants and to understand the findings in light of the context of the people being studied (Hammersley, 2019). Data were collected by four trained anthropologists between January 2021 and March 2021. In addition, several other ethnographic and qualitative research methods were used to triangulate the data. We collected data in Korail from August 2020 to November 2020. Following are the list of the methods used: In-depth interview (IDI): A total of 36 in-depth interviews (IDIs) were conducted, 18 in Gabtali and the other 18 in Sadek Khan slum, with a cross-section of people of the community, including housemaids, garment workers, rickshaw pullers, street hawkers, tea sellers, students, and slum leaders. A maximum variation sampling framework was considered in identifying the participants from a wide range of diverse groups. The sample was gender-inclusive, maintaining a good balance between male and female participants. Some demographic information like age, occupation, and location were also considered for selecting the participants. Apart from the face-to-face interviews, a few interviews were done over the phone, mainly for the clarification of the data.