THOSE WHO BUILD OUR HOMES,

TEMPLES AND CITIES ...

Wandering and Homeless

An Elective Course on
Construction workers by
Sonal Mehta & Persis Ginwalla

CEPT University, Ahmedabad

Master of Architecture Programme, Monsoon Semester 2016
26th July, 2016
 Seeing the links
 Migration: not always forced – depends on the socio-economic factors of
those undertaking migration
 Intra –state and inter-state migration for construction work is most often due
to distress
 social welfare: lack of it adds to the distress
 Invisibility: makes adds to the vulnerability contributing to the distress
 All the above lead, ironically and paradoxically, to more acute poverty
 Less than minimum wages – reading no. 4 – 31% of the wages only; evasion of
PF payments* (*157 x 30 = 4,710; 50 per week = Rs. 200 Rs. 4,510
difference WAGE THEFT, also in No. 6)
 Internalisation of costs: inadequacy of returns to maintain ‘body and soul’ or
to reproduce labour – link with income inequality
 Productive and gainful employment – DECENT JOB? – can the sector provide
Decent Jobs?
 Nuisance discourse
 Debate around Urbanisation: CITIES AS ENGINES OF GROWTH – whose
growth? CEPT-Monsoon '16 2
 Site visit
 How many groups do you want to make?
Group 1 Group 2 Group 3 Group 4

Site Jhansi-ni-Rani Ganesh housing Rain Basera – Vatva Bodakdev – Sindhu

Bhavan
RP Beena Beena Vipul Vipul

Date and Sat – 6th or 13th Sun – 7th or 14th Sat – 6th or 13th Sun – 7th or 14th
time 4.30 onwards 4.30 onwards 4.30 onwards 4.30 onwards

Group
members

CEPT-Monsoon '16 3
 Observation checklist for the site visit
What Caste do they belong
to?
Status – migrant or local?
How do they identify
themselves?
Social details (caste, age,
occupation here, gender &
ethnicity)
Social Profile
What region they come from? Why did they come here (if
migrants)?
Push and pull factors: Why Migration details (When,
this occupation? How did why, how, how often, is it
they gain entry? seasonal or permanent,
occupation back home,
status back home)
Gender roles in the domestic
sphere – division of labour in
the family, domestic
violence, social vices,
CEPT-Monsoon '16 4

Where do they live?
Residential history (here)
– physical conditions,
difficulties, challenges,
Leisure, recreation,
Care of the old and the
infirm
What is the family size?
Do the children go to
school?
Their experience with
Rain baseras (night
shelters)
Are all family members
working? If so are they
all in the same work?
Cont.d
Family and Social life
Quality and condition of housing – rent (if any, how What basic
much); Do they own house? Amenities: toilets, facilities do they
essential items, health service, transport, drinking have? Do they get
water, bathing, health facility?
Economic & living conditions – wages (individual or What else do they
family), minimum wage, cost of living, is there a possess?
shortfall during the month or is there a surplus, what
is done with surplus or how is the shortfall met,
How do they perceive the city, their life in the city – What would make
happiness, nostalgia, their life here and
Any striking features? back home better?
What are their aspirations – remain in city, go back, Challenges in
educate the children, become a contractor … living in the city
Crises & its
mitigation
CEPT-Monsoon '16 5
 Contd
You should try to also arrive at a rough estimate of the
approximate income and the approximate expenditure of the
family (along with the sources of income and sources of
expenditure) and the approximate savings

CEPT-Monsoon '16 6
 End of cycle Assignment – Graded
Secondary research – on workers: Parameters
 Demographics and employment – by caste and ethnicity and region, gender, age
 Wages
 Health and safety, Accidents, compensation
 Migration patterns
 Living conditions
 Compare and contrast your site visit with the secondary research. What does it say?
OR
Secondary research – on Companies and the sector as a whole: Parameters
 Who are the big players? How many are foreign and how many are Indian?
 How much of the sector do they control?
 Their workforce – numbers, skilled, unskilled, gender, age,
 Wages paid – at different levels of hierarchy
 How much investment on skill development? How much on social welfare?
 How many accident / death compensations were given out? How much money?
 What are their CSR spending, goals, …?

CEPT-Monsoon '16 7
 Evaluation criteria
 Presence of an argument
 Clarity and cogency of the argument
 Ability to combine classroom discussions, readings, site
visit and secondary research
 Participation of all members of the group

CEPT-Monsoon '16 8
 Assignment 1
 Group assignment
 Weightage – 15%
 Every group member must present a part of the
presentation
Parameter Weightage
Attendance 20%
LC – 1: Presentation (Group exercise) 15%
LC – 2: Essay (Individual exercise) ?? 15%
LC – 3: 15%
End of course assignment: Group 35%
Design Intervention

CEPT-Monsoon '16 9