Department of Humanities and Social Sciences

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End date: 2019

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Now showing 1 - 10 of 198
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    What do epiphytic lichens of Guwahati city indicate?
    (Indian academy of sciences (IAS), 2011-10) Hazarika, Natasha
    Lichens are composite organisms consisting of a symbiotic association of a fungus with a photosynthetic partner, either a green alga or a Cyanobacteria, grow in diverse climatic conditions and on equally diverse substrata and are widely distributed in almost all the phytogeographical regions of the world. An ‘annotated checklist’ published by the Botanical Survey of India (BSI) documents 2303 species belonging to 305 genera and 74 families in India1. Lichens are a major section of species that are sensitive to changes in atmospheric nutrient conditions2 and have been used as bioindicators of pollution over a long period of time, especially sulphur dioxide (SO2)3. Fruticose lichens are known to be the most sensitive to air pollution, followed by foliose and crustose forms. The vanishing of sensitive lichen species due to changes in microclimatic conditions and air pollution has been reported from Indian cities of Bangalore4 and Kolkata5. Due to the fast rate of disappearance of flora for a range of reasons like habitat loss, air pollution, changes in the microclimatic conditions and uncontrolled harvest, lichen biologists have initiated a discourse to creating ‘protected areas’ for conservation of lichens6. Systematic studies on lichens in India, however, are still sporadic. More so, there are instances of limited studies in the northeastern region of India, which is also a biological hotspot.
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    New records of epiphytic lichens from three districts of Assam, India
    (Indian Forester, 2014-10) Hazarika, Natasha
    Distribution of epiphytic lichens from three districts of Assam viz. Baksa, Kamrup and Sonitpur have been enumerated for the first time from eleven locations. A total of 67 species belonging to 12 families and 24 genera have been recorded. Of the total species, crustose, foliose and leprose lichens represented 60%, 39% and 1% respectively. The family Physciaceae emerged to be the most dominant, with a total of 20 species followed by Graphidaceae with 16 species. Patkijuli location revealed to have the highest lichen diversity followed by Nameri National Park. A total of 41 lichen taxa are new records for Assam.
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    Strategic assessment of groundwater resource exploitation using DPSIR framework in Guwahati city, India
    (Elsevier, 2016-02) Hazarika, Natasha
    Millions of people on the urban settlements in Asia rely on groundwater for fulfilling daily water needs. And while groundwater storage is vast, its replenishment is limited, and many aquifers are exhibiting signs of inadequately controlled pumping. However, efforts to understand the impacts of a society on the availability, equity, and sustainability of groundwater and its repercussions has received little attention till date. Therefore, using Guwahati city, India, as a case, the aim of this paper is to understand the socio-political factors and their intra and inter-relationships with groundwater which in turn influences the urban households' accessibility to water. Overall methodology used the DPSIR framework for which inputs were generated from questionnaire survey of 150 households and other official, literature records. It is revealed that high population density of 4445 persons/km2, rapid urbanization with haphazard construction, pertaining groundwater rights with land rights, and coverage of only 27% of the population by water supply services have acted as thrusts to exceed groundwater extraction over safe yield. This situation however has a feedback in the form of increasing number of households with reduced accessibility to water as many have stated about declined water levels, increasing issue of water affordability and subsequent emergence of water poor. The paper recommends use of water use fee rate and indirect groundwater pricing through energy tariffs for enhanced conservation of groundwater as opposed to present day method of its regulation.
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    Evolving theories of eco-innovation: a systematic review
    (Elsevier, 2019-07) Hazarika, Natasha
    Eco-innovation has become an essential entity for greening the economy. Technological innovations, institutional reforms, and change in social practices are some of the means of eco-innovation. As a result, there is a wide discourse on the many dimensions of eco-innovation since the dawn of the millennium. However, the concept of eco-innovation lacks theoretical consistency; hence, it has remained narrow and disintegrated. Therefore, this study conducts a systematic review of the articles focusing on the significance of theories in relation to the process of eco-innovation, in order to investigate the evolving theories of eco-innovation, highlight the existing research gaps, and to identify directions for potential theoretical development that would be valuable for a deeper system change. The findings show resource-based view, institutional theory, stakeholders theory, and evolutionary theory to be the most commonly used theories, along with identification of material-based enterprises as the primary sectors of implementation exhibiting a strong technological bias. The findings indicate that eco-innovations are primarily perceived from a narrow set of neo-liberal notions that although is effective for incremental improvements, lack credibility for defining the differentiated approach associated with radical eco-innovations. Accordingly, selective pressure by means of policy making process, design dynamic, and societal demand are identified as gray areas requiring greater theoretical attention. An analytical framework built on technological, institutional, organizational and social eco-innovation is represented for exploring the research areas of system change, economic sustainability, product network sustainability, and socio-technical landscape, that facilitates sustainability transition.
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    Factors that drive and sustain eco-innovation in the construction industry: the case of Hong Kong
    (Elsevier, 2019-11) Hazarika, Natasha
    While determination of driving forces for eco-innovation has been evaluated largely in the literature, questions about its implementation in the construction industry and the factors that can predict its future likelihood of adoption remain unanswered. The current study aims to determine the factors that influence adoption of eco-innovative practices in the construction industry in context of Hong Kong. The study develops a conceptual framework based on institutional theory, strategic choice theory and resource-based view and tests this framework by using data collected from 140 construction-based firms in Hong Kong, providing a response rate of 43%. Hierarchical regression analysis and linear regression analysis are used for testing the various relationships. The results revealed that regulatory instruments, managerial consent and organizational measures play an important role in influencing the firms to be eco-innovative. However, in case of determining future likelihood of adoption, although regulatory instruments and managerial consent do influence, firms that are already equipped with eco-innovative practices are most likely to adopt in future as well. Therefore, the study demonstrates a strong mediating role of eco-innovative practices on likelihood of adoption. Eco-innovation is also positively related to financial profitability. These findings support the Porter hypothesis and demonstrates path dependency for innovation breeds innovation. Considering that the findings are derived from a particular sector, it provides meaningful insights for the practitioners involved in real-time implementation.
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    Creating a User-Generated Learning Environment through Flipping Classroom: An Experiential Pedagogy
    (ELTAI, 2018-05) Lata, Pushp
    Participatory learning improves students’ learning and understanding of the concepts taught in a course. It can prove to be very effective in developing communication skills, higher order cognitive skills and inculcate problem solving ability among students. This kind of teaching learning environment calls for a paradigm shift, that is, to move from the teacher-centered approach to the student-centered approach. For better active learning, flipping the classroom is one of the techniques which can be employed. My work over the years has brought me into thinking heavily about the change of the role of learners from receiver to participant in the whole teaching learning process of a subject. Besides, I acknowledge the drastic shift in the learning aptitude of students due to an easy exposure and accessibility of technology and internet. I therefore, have been experimenting with, blogs, online forums and task based approach activities for collaborative learning from time to time. The flexibility and students’ active participation were the key features which motivated me to try this pedagogy in my classroom. The present study therefore, is an attempt to integrate flipped classroom environment in teaching of Cross Cultural Skills course which is a humanities elective course being offered to the first degree engineering students at Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani.
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    Hinglish Cinema
    (Springer, 2014) Prateek
    About September 1994, the character of Bollywood underwent a change with a deluge of movies such as Bomgay (1996), Bombay Boys (1998), Split Wide Open (1999), Everybody Says I Am Fine (2001), Leela (2002) and Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi (2003). Myopically acknowledged only as a change in the linguistic character of Bollywood, as manifested in its portmanteau name ‘Hinglish’, this transfiguration was often considered lusterless and sans consequences, or another addition to the long list of names representing a blend of English and Hindi:
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    Inward Bound Self-referentiality in Bombay cinema
    (Taylor & Francis, 2016) Prateek
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    Articulating Female Angst in Manipur: A Study of Mythical Surrender
    (Taylor & Francis, 2017-12) Prateek
    If the “unconstitutional” inclusion of Manipur in the Indian union in 1949 left the Manipuris in shock, then the implementation of the 1958 Indian Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act left them speechless and traumatized. In response a new type of Manipuri theatre emerged, which we call “neues theatre.” We examine the reasons for the rise of “neues theatre.” We locate the narrative of a recent Manipuri play Mythical Surrender (2011) in a social and cultural context, explain the ontogeny of Manipuri theatre, and present a gendered analysis to support our views on the impossibility of the unification of North India and the North East.
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    Naturalizing ‘Queerness’: A Study of Shyam Selvadurai’s Funny Boy
    (Rupkatha Journal, 2014) Prateek
    If the representation of same-sex sexuality in punitive terms leaves gays in shock, then the legitimizing of Article XVI Section 377 (which bars gay sex) in India made gays all over the world, especially in South Asia speechless and traumatized. In response to this universally misconstrued image of an ‘unnatural’ man, Shyam Selvadurai, a Canadian-Sri Lankan writer creates a narrative which not only offers an ‘innocent peek’ into the biased perspectives of heterosexuals towards queers but the use of a child narrator is a deliberate ploy with which he deconstructs the craving for a so called ‘healthy’ text.’ Thus, this article, by musing on Selvadurai’s most acclaimed text Funny Boy (1994), attempts to examine how and why ‘unhealthy’ texts are constructed. Secondly, it elaborates on the subtle literary strategies used by Selvadurai to debunk pre-conceived notions of a heterosexual literary text. Finally, the article while locating a gay narrative in the social and cultural context of Sri Lanka, presents a gendered analysis of homosexuality in Sri Lanka.