Othering and Access to Housing: A Unique Navigation of Placemaking Practiced by Thirunangais in Urban Spaces of Chennai
Loading...
Files
Size: 724.64 KB, File format: Adobe PDF
Date
Authors
Goswami, Suchismita
Sharan, Aditi
Joseph, Jacquleen
Raju, Emmanuel
Supervisor
Item type
Degree name
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Taylor and Francis Group
Abstract
This article explores the lived experiences of historically marginalized trans-women known as thirunangais in South India in accessing housing through the postcolonial theory of othering. These spaces often become sites where the identities of gender, caste, and class converge, making it precarious and transient. After sustained protests, thirunangais in Chennai were allocated housing in two resettlement sites. Despite state-provided housing, they faced violence, threats, and economic insecurity. Some left, while others remained, using adaptive strategies to assert ownership over housing through solidarity networks, collective resistance, negotiating tensions by being ‘out of place’ and inhabiting ‘in-between’ spaces. The article argues that housing interventions for thirunangais must address not only physical shelter but also the broader social, political, and economic factors that contribute to their marginalization.
Description
Keywords
330403 Housing markets, development and management, 350703 Disaster and emergency management, 4405 Gender studies, 4406 Human Geography, 4410 Sociology, 44 Human Society, 1601 Anthropology, 1608 Sociology, 2002 Cultural Studies, Anthropology, 4702 Cultural studies, Sexual and gender minorities, othering, placemaking, trans geography, Chennai
Source
Identities, ISSN: 1070-289X (Print); 1547-3384 (Online), Taylor and Francis Group, ahead-of-print(ahead-of-print), 1-22. doi: 10.1080/1070289X.2026.2698216
Publisher's version
Rights statement
Creative Commons Attribution CC BY 4.0
© 2026 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. This is an Open Access article.
© 2026 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. This is an Open Access article.
Permanent link
Collections
Endorsement
Review
Supplemented By
Referenced By
Creative Commons license
Except where otherwise noted, this item's license is described as Creative Commons Attribution CC BY 4.0