Student Number
27237
Degree
Master of Science in Development Studies
School
School of Economics and Social Sciences (SESS)
Date of Submission
2025
Supervisor
Dr. Ahmad Azhar, Assistant Professor, Department of Social Sciences and Liberal Arts
Committee Member 1
Dr. Shafia Azam, Examiner, Department of Anthropology, Fatima Jinnah Women University Rawalpindi, Pakistan
Committee Member 2
Dr. Arslan Waheed, Program Coordinator, Graduate Programs SSLA, Department of Social Sciences, Institute of Business Administration, Karachi
Keywords
Sanitation Worker, Sanitation Labour, Intimate Continuities Of Untouchability, Class, Caste, Labour Union, Collective Bargaining
Abstract
Sanitation labour has a complex relationship with urban structures. This relationship extends beyond infrastructure to entrenched class and caste dynamics. To understand the current status of the sanitation worker, this paper adopts a historical perspective through the combination of archives and oral accounts. The study examines the intersection of caste, class, and labour dynamics within the context of sanitation labour in Karachi, Pakistan. It sees what material and discursive structures contribute to the correlation of caste and class relations in sanitation labour. Additionally, it explores how class and caste mould the reality of sanitation labour unions and the language of protest and claim-making adopted by these workers. The research provides firsthand insights into the economic disparities and power dynamics prevalent in the sanitation sector by engaging with 30 sanitation workers in Sadiq Nagar, located in Gujjar Nalla, Gulberg Town, and Kausar Niazi, North Nazimabad Town. By focusing on current social equity issues, the paper contributes to wider conversations on urban sustainability. It emphasises sanitation services’ crucial role in urban cleanliness, which helps tackle non-traditional security challenges related to public health and environmental sustainability. The research findings inform fair labour practices, offering valuable perspectives for policymakers and practitioners to promote social justice and ecological sustainability in cities.
Submission Type
Thesis
Document Type
Restricted Access
Recommended Citation
Tariq, A. (2025). Keeping Karachi Clean: The Unsung Labour of the City’s Sanitation Staff (Unpublished Unpublished graduate thesis). Retrieved from https://ir.iba.edu.pk/etd-ms-development-studies/8
