Azhar
Biographic Data
| ID | 5698 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Azhar |
| FAMILY NAME | Azhar |
| SIGNATURE | AZHAR |
| AFFILIATIONS | Fordham University |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-2249-8976 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 34 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 56 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 34 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2014 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 3 |
“More Dangerous Than Cocaine”
("boy play") in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Pakistan. The population focus of this study was khwaja sira, a culturally specific transgender and gender-diverse population in South Asia, legally recognized as a third gender in Pakistan. Drawing on fieldwork with khwaja sira in Mingora, Swat, Pakistan, we retrospectively examined how poverty and precarity shape the conditions where young boys are coerced into transactional sexual relationships with old…
We Are Still Here
As Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) Minority Fellowship Program (MFP) scholars, we formed meaningful connections as academics, students, and friends. Throughout this reflective article, we explore the profound impact of our intersectional and critical race-informed scholarship on our professional practice and pedagogy while highlighting the ways that collaborating on this work enriched our journeys as scholars of color. These collaboration…
‘We Are Raising Our Voices’
This study explores coping strategies used by khwaja sira, a third‐gender community, in Swat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. We conducted 45 semi‐structured, in‐depth interviews with khwaja sira in Mingora, Swat. Interviews were conducted in Pashto, digitally audio recorded, transcribed and translated directly into English, and analysed using thematic content analysis. Applying coping theory, we identified five major themes in the interview transc…
“Too weak to fight, too scared to scream”
Black female adolescents are less frequently viewed as victims of violence or as agents of resistance. This study analyzed the experiences of sexual coercion of Black female adolescents on the South Side of Chicago through narrative scripts used to create digital stories. Using Sexual Script Theory and applying an intersectional lens, we analyzed a collection of 46 narrative transcripts from Black female youth, living on the South Side of Chicago…
I Was Scared That He Might Kill Me or Stab Me If I Said No”
This study's objective was to analyze the experiences of gender-based violence (GBV) against cisgender female sex workers in Kolkata through the lens of structuration theory. We interviewed 30 cisgender female sex workers in Kolkata, India on their experiences with GBV in the language of Bengali. Using interpretative phenomenological analysis, we identified three main themes in the transcripts: (1) interpersonal violence preceding sex work; (2) i…
You have to budget within the money you have’
Predictors of Food Insecurity and Childhood Hunger in the Bronx During the Covid-19 Pandemic
I am denied comfort and safety”
Sexual and gender minorities (SGM) of colour in the United States experience heightened HIV vulnerability, but prevention interventions have not adequately met their needs. We analysed survey responses from sexually active men who have sex with men, transgender people and gender-nonconforming people of colour (N = 216), regarding barriers to participation in HIV prevention research and services. We applied Meyer's Minority Stress Theory (MST), wh…
The little I receive is not enough’’
What would John do? Covid-19 stigmatization, social distance and race
Like many infectious diseases, COVID-19 is a heavily stigmatized and racialized health condition. The objective of the present study was to examine racial differences in COVID-19 stigmatization. To assess the intersection between COVID-19 stigmatization and race, we asked 568 individuals to respond to hypothetical vignettes, using a web-based survey. We presented respondents with the vignette of John, an individual infected with COVID-19 with an …
Unpaid Care Work Time and Women’s Employment Status
Using the first Indian 2019 Time Use Survey, we investigate the association between women’s time spent on unpaid care work (UCW) and their employment status and whether this association differs by socio-demographic characteristics such as age, marital status, education level and household size, controlling for religion, social group status, household monthly expenditure and geographical location (e.g. rural versus urban settings). Using multinomi…
I would prefer to be dead than to live this way
Due to their identification as third gender people, khwaja sira have historically been subjected to experiences of social marginalization. However, the extant literature has not fully explored the lived experiences of stigma and discrimination against khwaja sira in the Swat Valley of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. To address this gap, we conducted 45 interviews with khwaja sira in Mingora, Swat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to better understand their exper…
We are Treated as Outsiders in Our Own City
We Don’t Have Any Honor Because We Are khwaja sira
This qualitative study examines police violence and discriminatory policing practices targeting the third gender community, known in Pakistan as khwaja sira. Employing a phenomenological analysis, we conducted a qualitative study involving in-depth interviews with 45 khwaja sira in Mingora, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, recruited through purposive and snowball sampling. Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of the interview transcripts: …
The hardest and most difficult days of my life”
Introduction Khwaja sira (third gender people) in Pakistan experience several forms of social marginalization, which were likely exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic.Methods We completed 45 interviews with khwaja sira in Mingora, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan to understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their daily lives. Interviews were conducted in Pashto, digitally audio-recorded, and analyzed using Minority Stress Theory, which pos…
Exploring police officers’ perceptions of their female colleagues in Uttar Pradesh, India
This study aimed to explore Indian police officers’ perceptions of their female colleagues through Bourdieu and Chan’s framework of habitus, practice, field, and capital. We interviewed 12 police officers in Allahabad, India, who were recruited through purposive and snowball sampling. We translated, transcribed and coded their interviews from Hindi to English. Applying Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis, we identified two major themes: (1) th…
Race, masks, residency and concern regarding Covid‐19 transmission
To explore sociodemographic predictors for concern regarding COVID‐19 transmission and how these factors interact with the identities of others, we conducted a web‐based survey where we asked 568 respondents in the United States to indicate their level of COVID‐19 concern in response to a series of images with short vignettes of masked and unmasked individuals of different racial/ethnic backgrounds. Using a linear mixed effects model, we found th…
Associations between HIV stigma, gender, and depression among people living with HIV in Hyderabad, India
The goal of this study was to explore the association between HIV stigma and depression and whether gender moderated this relationship. The theoretical framework for the study combined an adapted version of Goffman's conceptualization of stigma with gender role theory. We surveyed 150 individuals living with HIV in Hyderabad, India (51 cisgender women, 49 cisgender men, and 50 third gender people) on their experiences with HIV stigma. While third…
A Systematic Review of Intimate Partner Violence Interventions Impacting South Asian Women in the United States
This systematic review is the first published attempt to synthesize literature pertaining to intimate partner violence (IPV) interventions impacting South Asian women in the United States. Applying the conceptual framework of intersectionality, the goals of this review are to (1) understand current trends, intervention modalities, and areas of focus within IPV interventions targeting South Asian communities in the United States and (2) to identif…
Mask mandates, race, and protests of summer 2020
This study examined predictors to mask mandate support and racial justice protest participation across Asian (n = 103), Black (n = 102), white (n = 102) New York City residents, using binary logistic regressions. Participants with positive feelings about the racial justice movement were more likely to participate in the protests. White and Asian respondents were more likely to support the mask mandates over Black respondents. Asian respondents we…
Dual pandemics or a syndemic? Racism, Covid-19, and opportunities for antiracist social work
In this article, we critically engage the “dual pandemics” framing of this special issue. We first consider the key assumptions of this popular frame, specifically the conceptualization of racism as a pandemic, and examine limitations of medicalizing racism. We follow with an introduction of the term syndemic, coined by public health scholar Merrill Singer, and discuss how the language of syndemics might accurately characterize the synergism and …
Associations between HIV stigma and social support for people living with HIV in Hyderabad, India
The present study examined the association between social support and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) stigma through a survey of 150 people living with HIV (PLWH) in Hyderabad, India. Survey items to assess social support were adapted from the HIV Cost Services and Utilization Survey. HIV stigma was measured using Zelaya and Jeyaseelan scales that were previously validated in India. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed an inverse assoc…
Secret lives and gender fluidity of people living with HIV in Hyderabad, India
This mixed‐methods study sought to explore gender fluidity among people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in Hyderabad, India, almost all of whom did not identify as hijra. Sixteen gender‐nonconforming people living with HIV completed both surveys and in‐depth interviews, exploring their experiences with HIV and gender nonconformity stigma. Interviews were conducted in Hindi and Telugu, digitally audio‐recorded, then subsequently tra…
Having a guru is like having a licence
The focus of this study was on identifying themes regarding the financial relationships between gurus (leaders) and chelas (disciples) in khwaja sira communities in Khyber Pakhtunkwa, Pakistan. We interviewed 45 khwaja sira in Mingora, Swat on their experiences of guru-chela culture. All interviews were digitally audio recorded, then translated and transcribed directly from Pashto into English. Transcripts of the interviews were analysed using th…
Social exclusion and official recognition for Hijra in Bangladesh
This research study investigates the processes of social exclusion and legal recognition of hijra in Bangladesh, focusing on experiences in accessing work and health services. The goal of this study was to explore how official recognition of hijra as a third gender shaped experiences of social exclusion, following the new third gender registration policy. We conducted fifteen interviews with hijra and five interviews with key informants. Thematic…
You’re So Exotic Looking”
We applied critical race theory’s concept of intersectionality to analyze the experiences of discrimination among Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (APIs) in the United States, across race, gender, and sexuality. We collected tweets from October 2016 through December 2017 using the hashtag #thisis2016 on the social media platform, Twitter. Data were scoped down to 3,156 tweets and were coded by four members of our research team—all of whom id…
Diversity in Sex Work in India
Asian in the Time of Covid-19
The health of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities remains an understudied area of racial/ethnic minority research in the United States, and even more so in the field of social work. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted how AAPI health and social welfare issues have not received adequate attention in social policy, social work practice, and research. Contrary to model minority myths, AAPIs are subject to racialized attitudes an…
Mask mandates, race, and protests of summer 2020
This study examined predictors to mask mandate support and racial justice protest participation across Asian (n = 103), Black (n = 102), white (n = 102) New York City residents, using binary logistic regressions. Participants with positive feelings about the racial justice movement were more likely to participate in the protests. White and Asian respondents were more likely to support the mask mandates over Black respondents. Asian respondents we…
Dual pandemics or a syndemic? Racism, Covid-19, and opportunities for antiracist social work
In this article, we critically engage the “dual pandemics” framing of this special issue. We first consider the key assumptions of this popular frame, specifically the conceptualization of racism as a pandemic, and examine limitations of medicalizing racism. We follow with an introduction of the term syndemic, coined by public health scholar Merrill Singer, and discuss how the language of syndemics might accurately characterize the synergism and …
Unpaid Care Work Time and Women’s Employment Status
Using the first Indian 2019 Time Use Survey, we investigate the association between women’s time spent on unpaid care work (UCW) and their employment status and whether this association differs by socio-demographic characteristics such as age, marital status, education level and household size, controlling for religion, social group status, household monthly expenditure and geographical location (e.g. rural versus urban settings). Using multinomi…
I would prefer to be dead than to live this way
Due to their identification as third gender people, khwaja sira have historically been subjected to experiences of social marginalization. However, the extant literature has not fully explored the lived experiences of stigma and discrimination against khwaja sira in the Swat Valley of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. To address this gap, we conducted 45 interviews with khwaja sira in Mingora, Swat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to better understand their exper…
Having a guru is like having a licence
The focus of this study was on identifying themes regarding the financial relationships between gurus (leaders) and chelas (disciples) in khwaja sira communities in Khyber Pakhtunkwa, Pakistan. We interviewed 45 khwaja sira in Mingora, Swat on their experiences of guru-chela culture. All interviews were digitally audio recorded, then translated and transcribed directly from Pashto into English. Transcripts of the interviews were analysed using th…
We are Treated as Outsiders in Our Own City
Exploring police officers’ perceptions of their female colleagues in Uttar Pradesh, India
This study aimed to explore Indian police officers’ perceptions of their female colleagues through Bourdieu and Chan’s framework of habitus, practice, field, and capital. We interviewed 12 police officers in Allahabad, India, who were recruited through purposive and snowball sampling. We translated, transcribed and coded their interviews from Hindi to English. Applying Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis, we identified two major themes: (1) th…
Associations between HIV stigma, gender, and depression among people living with HIV in Hyderabad, India
The goal of this study was to explore the association between HIV stigma and depression and whether gender moderated this relationship. The theoretical framework for the study combined an adapted version of Goffman's conceptualization of stigma with gender role theory. We surveyed 150 individuals living with HIV in Hyderabad, India (51 cisgender women, 49 cisgender men, and 50 third gender people) on their experiences with HIV stigma. While third…
How Racism Against Bipoc Women Faculty Operates in Social Work Academia
In this article, we seek to highlight the ways in which we, as two female social work faculty members whose racial/ethnic identities fall into the categories of Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color (BIPOC), have experienced racism and White supremacy within predominantly White institutions in the United States. We seek to clarify that these experiences are not unique to any particular institution or university, but rather reflect systemic…
Are skin color and body mass index associated with social network structure? Findings from a male sex market study
Objectives: There is a growing burden of HIV and sex-related diseases in South Asia and India. Sociological research illustrates that key axes of social stratification, such as race and ethnicity, affect social network structure which, in turn, impacts sexual health and wellbeing. Research on networks has increasingly begun to examine the ways in which networks drive or harness sexual behaviors, but has largely neglected the influence of culture …
Women Connected to at Risk Indian Men Who Have Sex with Men
Are skin color and body mass index associated with social network structure? Findings from a male sex market study
Objectives: There is a growing burden of HIV and sex-related diseases in South Asia and India. Sociological research illustrates that key axes of social stratification, such as race and ethnicity, affect social network structure which, in turn, impacts sexual health and wellbeing. Research on networks has increasingly begun to examine the ways in which networks drive or harness sexual behaviors, but has largely neglected the influence of culture …
Diversity in Sex Work in India
Navigating Intersectional Stigma
Intersectionality is a critical tool for understanding how socially constructed categories shape multiple dimensions of lived experience. In this study, we apply an intersectional lens to explore how women of color from two different contexts, Hyderabad, India and Chicago, Illinois, manage gendered forms of stigma and oppression as they converge with other devalued statuses, namely living with HIV or having a history of drug use or incarceration.…
Experiences of racist encounters among Asian Americans
Asian Americans have a history of discrimination and othering in the US. In October 2016, journalist Michael Luo put out a call for Asian Americans to tweet racist encounters using the hashtag, #thisis2016. The aim of this study was to examine the encounters shared by Asian Americans. Tweets between October 2016 and December 2017 were obtained via Twitter. The tweets were scoped down to 3,156 tweets to include those that appeared to answer the or…
You’re So Exotic Looking”
We applied critical race theory’s concept of intersectionality to analyze the experiences of discrimination among Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (APIs) in the United States, across race, gender, and sexuality. We collected tweets from October 2016 through December 2017 using the hashtag #thisis2016 on the social media platform, Twitter. Data were scoped down to 3,156 tweets and were coded by four members of our research team—all of whom id…
No one blames men in our society’
The purpose of this study was to identify Indian police officers’ perceptions of female complainants and how these perceptions influenced their handling of cases involving women and girls. Using a phenomenological approach, we conducted a qualitative study involving interviews with 12 police officers who were recruited through purposive and snowball sampling. Patriarchal perceptions regarding gender roles influenced police attitudes regarding fem…
Asian in the Time of Covid-19
The health of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities remains an understudied area of racial/ethnic minority research in the United States, and even more so in the field of social work. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted how AAPI health and social welfare issues have not received adequate attention in social policy, social work practice, and research. Contrary to model minority myths, AAPIs are subject to racialized attitudes an…
How Racism Against Bipoc Women Faculty Operates in Social Work Academia
In this article, we seek to highlight the ways in which we, as two female social work faculty members whose racial/ethnic identities fall into the categories of Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color (BIPOC), have experienced racism and White supremacy within predominantly White institutions in the United States. We seek to clarify that these experiences are not unique to any particular institution or university, but rather reflect systemic…
A Systematic Review of Intimate Partner Violence Interventions Impacting South Asian Women in the United States
This systematic review is the first published attempt to synthesize literature pertaining to intimate partner violence (IPV) interventions impacting South Asian women in the United States. Applying the conceptual framework of intersectionality, the goals of this review are to (1) understand current trends, intervention modalities, and areas of focus within IPV interventions targeting South Asian communities in the United States and (2) to identif…
Mask mandates, race, and protests of summer 2020
This study examined predictors to mask mandate support and racial justice protest participation across Asian (n = 103), Black (n = 102), white (n = 102) New York City residents, using binary logistic regressions. Participants with positive feelings about the racial justice movement were more likely to participate in the protests. White and Asian respondents were more likely to support the mask mandates over Black respondents. Asian respondents we…
Dual pandemics or a syndemic? Racism, Covid-19, and opportunities for antiracist social work
In this article, we critically engage the “dual pandemics” framing of this special issue. We first consider the key assumptions of this popular frame, specifically the conceptualization of racism as a pandemic, and examine limitations of medicalizing racism. We follow with an introduction of the term syndemic, coined by public health scholar Merrill Singer, and discuss how the language of syndemics might accurately characterize the synergism and …
Associations between HIV stigma and social support for people living with HIV in Hyderabad, India
The present study examined the association between social support and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) stigma through a survey of 150 people living with HIV (PLWH) in Hyderabad, India. Survey items to assess social support were adapted from the HIV Cost Services and Utilization Survey. HIV stigma was measured using Zelaya and Jeyaseelan scales that were previously validated in India. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed an inverse assoc…
Secret lives and gender fluidity of people living with HIV in Hyderabad, India
This mixed‐methods study sought to explore gender fluidity among people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in Hyderabad, India, almost all of whom did not identify as hijra. Sixteen gender‐nonconforming people living with HIV completed both surveys and in‐depth interviews, exploring their experiences with HIV and gender nonconformity stigma. Interviews were conducted in Hindi and Telugu, digitally audio‐recorded, then subsequently tra…
Having a guru is like having a licence
The focus of this study was on identifying themes regarding the financial relationships between gurus (leaders) and chelas (disciples) in khwaja sira communities in Khyber Pakhtunkwa, Pakistan. We interviewed 45 khwaja sira in Mingora, Swat on their experiences of guru-chela culture. All interviews were digitally audio recorded, then translated and transcribed directly from Pashto into English. Transcripts of the interviews were analysed using th…
The hardest and most difficult days of my life”
Introduction Khwaja sira (third gender people) in Pakistan experience several forms of social marginalization, which were likely exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic.Methods We completed 45 interviews with khwaja sira in Mingora, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan to understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their daily lives. Interviews were conducted in Pashto, digitally audio-recorded, and analyzed using Minority Stress Theory, which pos…
Exploring police officers’ perceptions of their female colleagues in Uttar Pradesh, India
This study aimed to explore Indian police officers’ perceptions of their female colleagues through Bourdieu and Chan’s framework of habitus, practice, field, and capital. We interviewed 12 police officers in Allahabad, India, who were recruited through purposive and snowball sampling. We translated, transcribed and coded their interviews from Hindi to English. Applying Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis, we identified two major themes: (1) th…
Race, masks, residency and concern regarding Covid‐19 transmission
To explore sociodemographic predictors for concern regarding COVID‐19 transmission and how these factors interact with the identities of others, we conducted a web‐based survey where we asked 568 respondents in the United States to indicate their level of COVID‐19 concern in response to a series of images with short vignettes of masked and unmasked individuals of different racial/ethnic backgrounds. Using a linear mixed effects model, we found th…
Associations between HIV stigma, gender, and depression among people living with HIV in Hyderabad, India
The goal of this study was to explore the association between HIV stigma and depression and whether gender moderated this relationship. The theoretical framework for the study combined an adapted version of Goffman's conceptualization of stigma with gender role theory. We surveyed 150 individuals living with HIV in Hyderabad, India (51 cisgender women, 49 cisgender men, and 50 third gender people) on their experiences with HIV stigma. While third…
Social exclusion and official recognition for Hijra in Bangladesh
This research study investigates the processes of social exclusion and legal recognition of hijra in Bangladesh, focusing on experiences in accessing work and health services. The goal of this study was to explore how official recognition of hijra as a third gender shaped experiences of social exclusion, following the new third gender registration policy. We conducted fifteen interviews with hijra and five interviews with key informants. Thematic…
Predictors of Food Insecurity and Childhood Hunger in the Bronx During the Covid-19 Pandemic
I am denied comfort and safety”
Sexual and gender minorities (SGM) of colour in the United States experience heightened HIV vulnerability, but prevention interventions have not adequately met their needs. We analysed survey responses from sexually active men who have sex with men, transgender people and gender-nonconforming people of colour (N = 216), regarding barriers to participation in HIV prevention research and services. We applied Meyer's Minority Stress Theory (MST), wh…
The little I receive is not enough’’
What would John do? Covid-19 stigmatization, social distance and race
Like many infectious diseases, COVID-19 is a heavily stigmatized and racialized health condition. The objective of the present study was to examine racial differences in COVID-19 stigmatization. To assess the intersection between COVID-19 stigmatization and race, we asked 568 individuals to respond to hypothetical vignettes, using a web-based survey. We presented respondents with the vignette of John, an individual infected with COVID-19 with an …
Unpaid Care Work Time and Women’s Employment Status
Using the first Indian 2019 Time Use Survey, we investigate the association between women’s time spent on unpaid care work (UCW) and their employment status and whether this association differs by socio-demographic characteristics such as age, marital status, education level and household size, controlling for religion, social group status, household monthly expenditure and geographical location (e.g. rural versus urban settings). Using multinomi…
Psychology (24 works) · Sociology (23 works) · Medicine (20 works) · Gender Studies (17 works) · Social Psychology (15 works) · Gender Studies (13 works) · Political science (13 works) · Psychiatry (10 works) · Social Psychology (10 works) · Criminology (9 works)