Urban Undesirables: Volume 1: City Transition and Street-Based Sex Work in Bangalore

This book explores the urban transition experiences of Bangalore's street-based sex workers over nearly three decades, highlighting their unique perspectives and narratives of the city and its transformations. It examines their spatial and social ecosystems, experiences with technology, and empowerment strategies to reclaim their spaces and assert their identities as informal workers and legitimate citizens.

Format: Hardback
Length: 240 pages
Publication date: 10 November 2022
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

This captivating book delves into the diverse urban transition experiences of Bangalore, spanning nearly three decades, through the captivating narratives of the city's street-based sex workers. These individuals, including female, male, and transgender sex workers, have been an integral part of Bangalore's streets for decades. Despite being labeled as undesirable and a threat to the ideal public, they possess their own unique imaginations and narratives of the city and its transformations. By mapping out their spatial and social ecosystems and their interactions with technology, this book offers a fresh perspective on the city and its metamorphosis, challenging conventional notions.

The analysis of these sex workers' experiences is rooted in concepts such as neoliberal urbanism, gender, labor informality, and the politics of technology. The authors embark on an unconventional journey, traversing their spaces, comrades, and battles, to proclaim and affirm their individuality and agency through empowerment strategies. They also strive to reclaim their spaces and assert their identities as informal workers and legitimate citizens of the city, facing numerous challenges along the way.

Through their stories, this book sheds light on the complex dynamics of urbanization, social exclusion, and the struggle for recognition and rights. It highlights the resilience and creativity of these individuals in navigating a rapidly changing urban landscape and advocates for a more inclusive and equitable society that recognizes and respects the contributions of all workers, regardless of their occupation or background.

Weight: 390g
Dimension: 236 x 160 x 18 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781009180214