phd

PhD Thesis Title: Producing the Night City: The Labour Behind Leisure in India’s Urban Nightscapes

Expected Completion Date: September 2027

PhD Supervisor: Kristen McNeill

Vinathi’s research investigates the intricate dynamics of Hyderabad’s urban nightscapes through the lens of gendered labour. Focusing on cafes as emerging locale of urban nightscapes, it explores how labour produces the socio-spatial elements of the urban night. While doing so, the research also aspires to gain a nuanced understanding of how this labour interacts with gender, class and caste.
 

profile
 

Vinathi has been a doctoral candidate at the Graduate Institute since 2023. She holds a Master's degree in sociology from the University of Hyderabad, with a thesis that examined issues of citizenship and the exclusion of migrants in cities during the COVID-19 pandemic. She earned her Bachelor's degree in social sciences from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences. She additionally pursued an academic exchange program at Macquarie University in Australia. Prior to commencing her PhD, Vinathi worked as a Research Associate for NGOs and think tanks in India. Throughout her professional and academic trajectories, she has gained extensive grassroots experience in working with marginalized populations in India.
 

Fellowships, Grants and Awards
 

• Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship (2024)
• The Graduate Institute (IHEID), Doctoral Academic Scholarship (2023)
• Vice-Chancellor’s International Scholarship, Macquarie University, Sydney- Tata Institute of Social Sciences Ambassador (2018)