Chandra
Biographic Data
| ID | 23766 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Chandra |
| FAMILY NAME | Chandra |
| SIGNATURE | CHANDRA |
| AFFILIATIONS | The University of Sydney |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-1217-0731 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 21 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 19 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 21 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2021 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 3 |
Caring infrastructures for sexual health and the implications of antibiotic-resistant STIs
Infrastructures fundamentally shape sexual health, but their gaps and failings often only come into view during moments of crisis. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a looming microbiological and global societal crisis, and one that is posing increasing challenges and risks for medical practice and public health alike. In sexual health, concerns have been raised about growing resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae and the less well-known Mycoplasma g…
Embodying the Goddess
This study explores the phenomenon of deity embodiment during the Chaṭha festival, focusing on the transformative religious encounters of the female primary worshippers—the parvaitins. The parvaitin transcends human–divine boundaries through her ritual mastery, ritualization and body techniques, and embodies the goddess Chaṭhī Māī. Through ethnographic fieldwork conducted in Varanasi, Patna, Munger and Sahibganj during the years 2021–23, the stud…
Emergence of the Buddhist Image Cult
Friendship and the Sociality of GBTQ+ Sexual Health in Times of Resistance
Sexual health has always been a social matter. While the science of disease transmission remains a focus for public health stakeholders, for social scientists, the sociality of infections, both enduring and emerging, remains central. That is, friendships and relationships are core to health, risk and illness. Yet, there has been virtually no work on how friendships and their varying contours are interplaying with (increasingly) antibiotic resista…
Institutional Patriarchy
It has been a decade since the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 was passed, but data shows that implementation of the law is unsatisfactory, and conviction is extremely low. Internal Complaints Committees that are set up to enquire into complaints have not even made a dent on this problem. This article attempts to analyse the policy through the theory of institutionalism. Institutional patr…
Political narratives and reconfiguration of Adivasi identity in Jharkhand
Reconfiguration of socio-political identity is an everyday phenomenon, but it intensifies and becomes more pronounced during electoral periods. Through field observations and the qualitative analysis of slogans, speeches, and pamphlets, the paper focuses on discursive practices mobilising the Adivasi identity in Jharkhand. It considers three recent political events, elucidating how they attempt to conceptualise the question of Adivasi identity an…
Can death be casual
Death can be a difficult matter to talk about in face-to-face conversations. However, online platforms provide a safe space for people to express feelings and opinions freely. This paper is an attempt to explore how the taboo of discussing death in a casual manner is approached by individuals in an online space. The Death Café blogs were an apt starting point for this study as the movement itself is centred on fostering casual discussions around …
Mediated Urgency
Often, research takes place once a health issue is already at ‘crisis’ point. However, health professionals and populations can have different understandings of ‘urgency’. At present, health authorities, scientists and other medical professionals are increasingly concerned about escalating antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in the context of STIs. Clinicians worry about Neisseria gonorrhoeae becoming progressively resistant to last‐line treatment, as…
Encountering the Obsolete Art
Art is an essential glimpse into the history of humanity because it is often one of the few things to survive. It is a medium to express one’s feelings, which can tell us stories and relate the modes and beliefs of an era. Prehistoric art represents various aspects of the everyday life of early humans, including a diverse range of symbols and signs in multiple patterns. The present article explores how these ancient motifs can serve as the basis …
Religion as everyday resistance
GBTQ+ safe sex entanglements
Few studies have explored community experiences of our increasingly resistant bacterial landscape, and, in the sphere of sexually transmissible infections (STIs) and antimicrobial resistance, there is even greater absence of community-centred research. This is despite a growth in STI transmission worldwide, which, alongside accelerated resistance, will disproportionately affect GBTQ+ (gay, bisexual, trans, queer+) populations. In this article, dr…
Sampling and recruiting LGBTQ+ populations in health research
In this paper, we explore negotiations around sexuality and gender diverse identities together with sexual practices, and the materialities of bodies, as they relate to the sampling and recruitment of LGBTQ+ participants in health social science research. The basis of our research note is a reflection on our experiences of undertaking a study on the social dimensions of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in the context of sexually transmitted infecti…
Ritual Meals of Chaṭha
Festivals and rituals have been pivotal for transmitting and preserving cultural values, with food assuming a central role in these communal observances. This study delves into the intricate interplay between culinary practices, cultural identity, and religious expression by examining the Hindu festival of Chat.ha. The investigation centers on the multifaceted nature of Chat.ha. By closely examining the processes of procurement, preparation, offe…
Treatment 'cultures', sexually transmitted infections and the rise of antimicrobial resistance
In this article, we examine the current management of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), in the context of rising antimicrobial resistance (AMR), through the lens of 'treatment cultures'. Prevailing treatment cultures-including the prominence of syndromic care for STIs-foster certain possibilities and foreclose others, with important consequences for countering AMR. Drawing on qualitative interviews with STI professionals, experts and indust…
The persistence and endurance of blood family
Families of choice is an important framework used to think about non-heterosexual people’s attachments. This means the family of origin has received limited attention when theorising their relationships. This group has often been considered in relation to coming out, which centralises the importance of sexuality for understanding kinship ties. This paper extends the limited, but growing scholarship on non-heterosexual people, and their families o…
Exploring queer people of colour's perceptions of pride in Sydney
Pride events in majority-White contexts reflect social structures and power relations which privilege individuals from that group. The normative Whiteness that shapes these societies influence the dominance of Whiteness in queer spaces and Pride events which take place in them. This paper focused on queer people of colour (QPoC), in Australia, to understand how their intersectional identities shape perceptions of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi …
Emerging Dilemmas in the Age of Resistance
The stage is set for a new era of precariousness in modern medicine, driven by the increasing failure of a key pharmaceutical pillar-antimicrobials. In the context of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), the rise of antimicrobial resistance is introducing urgent questions around what might constitute "best practice" in a rapidly evolving scene, including the value of asymptomatic screening (test and treat), and the consequent downstream collat…
Making friends with the family
There is limited in-depth theorisation of positive coming-out experiences within families of origin. This is especially true for diasporic South Asian communities living in majority Anglophone contexts. The article draws on a study of 15 gay men of South Asian descent, in Australia, to analyse how coming out can lead to positive developments in family relations, even if they exist alongside negativity about one's sexuality. Coming out can introdu…
I wouldn't want my family to cop anything
Social media practices are situated within the contexts that people are located in, including family and peer relationships. LGBTQIA+ young people carefully curate social media spaces to find similar others in careful ways. However, less is understood about how existing connections to families of origin (re)shape social media practices. Drawing on interview and focus group data with 65 LGBTQIA+ young people, we examine family considerations in so…
A Multi-Faceted and Relational Approach to Gay Men's Identities
The idea of a 'post-gay' identity suggests sexuality no longer remains a key identifier to gay men's sense of self. The concept provides a useful framework for theorising how gay men's identities include and go beyond their sexuality, allowing scholars to conceptualise it in more complex ways. This study contributes to the literature, by drawing on the idea of 'personal community' to unpack how multiple connections inform gay men's multi-faceted …
Why Do I Need to Talk About 'Culture'? Realising you are 'Brown' in Academia
This reflexive piece explores racialised academic processes by grounding it firmly within the experiences of my researcher subjectivity. Often, research on people of colour uses culture as an analytic lens, which is not expected when writing or talking about White samples. This reproduces an orientalisation of other groups and reinforces the normativity of Whiteness within academic scholarship. However, my reflections illustrate that for scholars…
Exploring queer people of colour's perceptions of pride in Sydney
Pride events in majority-White contexts reflect social structures and power relations which privilege individuals from that group. The normative Whiteness that shapes these societies influence the dominance of Whiteness in queer spaces and Pride events which take place in them. This paper focused on queer people of colour (QPoC), in Australia, to understand how their intersectional identities shape perceptions of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi …
I wouldn't want my family to cop anything
Social media practices are situated within the contexts that people are located in, including family and peer relationships. LGBTQIA+ young people carefully curate social media spaces to find similar others in careful ways. However, less is understood about how existing connections to families of origin (re)shape social media practices. Drawing on interview and focus group data with 65 LGBTQIA+ young people, we examine family considerations in so…
A Multi-Faceted and Relational Approach to Gay Men's Identities
The idea of a 'post-gay' identity suggests sexuality no longer remains a key identifier to gay men's sense of self. The concept provides a useful framework for theorising how gay men's identities include and go beyond their sexuality, allowing scholars to conceptualise it in more complex ways. This study contributes to the literature, by drawing on the idea of 'personal community' to unpack how multiple connections inform gay men's multi-faceted …
Why Do I Need to Talk About 'Culture'? Realising you are 'Brown' in Academia
This reflexive piece explores racialised academic processes by grounding it firmly within the experiences of my researcher subjectivity. Often, research on people of colour uses culture as an analytic lens, which is not expected when writing or talking about White samples. This reproduces an orientalisation of other groups and reinforces the normativity of Whiteness within academic scholarship. However, my reflections illustrate that for scholars…
Treatment 'cultures', sexually transmitted infections and the rise of antimicrobial resistance
In this article, we examine the current management of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), in the context of rising antimicrobial resistance (AMR), through the lens of 'treatment cultures'. Prevailing treatment cultures-including the prominence of syndromic care for STIs-foster certain possibilities and foreclose others, with important consequences for countering AMR. Drawing on qualitative interviews with STI professionals, experts and indust…
GBTQ+ safe sex entanglements
Few studies have explored community experiences of our increasingly resistant bacterial landscape, and, in the sphere of sexually transmissible infections (STIs) and antimicrobial resistance, there is even greater absence of community-centred research. This is despite a growth in STI transmission worldwide, which, alongside accelerated resistance, will disproportionately affect GBTQ+ (gay, bisexual, trans, queer+) populations. In this article, dr…
Sampling and recruiting LGBTQ+ populations in health research
In this paper, we explore negotiations around sexuality and gender diverse identities together with sexual practices, and the materialities of bodies, as they relate to the sampling and recruitment of LGBTQ+ participants in health social science research. The basis of our research note is a reflection on our experiences of undertaking a study on the social dimensions of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in the context of sexually transmitted infecti…
Emerging Dilemmas in the Age of Resistance
The stage is set for a new era of precariousness in modern medicine, driven by the increasing failure of a key pharmaceutical pillar-antimicrobials. In the context of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), the rise of antimicrobial resistance is introducing urgent questions around what might constitute "best practice" in a rapidly evolving scene, including the value of asymptomatic screening (test and treat), and the consequent downstream collat…
Why Do I Need to Talk About 'Culture'? Realising you are 'Brown' in Academia
This reflexive piece explores racialised academic processes by grounding it firmly within the experiences of my researcher subjectivity. Often, research on people of colour uses culture as an analytic lens, which is not expected when writing or talking about White samples. This reproduces an orientalisation of other groups and reinforces the normativity of Whiteness within academic scholarship. However, my reflections illustrate that for scholars…
I wouldn't want my family to cop anything
Social media practices are situated within the contexts that people are located in, including family and peer relationships. LGBTQIA+ young people carefully curate social media spaces to find similar others in careful ways. However, less is understood about how existing connections to families of origin (re)shape social media practices. Drawing on interview and focus group data with 65 LGBTQIA+ young people, we examine family considerations in so…
A Multi-Faceted and Relational Approach to Gay Men's Identities
The idea of a 'post-gay' identity suggests sexuality no longer remains a key identifier to gay men's sense of self. The concept provides a useful framework for theorising how gay men's identities include and go beyond their sexuality, allowing scholars to conceptualise it in more complex ways. This study contributes to the literature, by drawing on the idea of 'personal community' to unpack how multiple connections inform gay men's multi-faceted …
Making friends with the family
There is limited in-depth theorisation of positive coming-out experiences within families of origin. This is especially true for diasporic South Asian communities living in majority Anglophone contexts. The article draws on a study of 15 gay men of South Asian descent, in Australia, to analyse how coming out can lead to positive developments in family relations, even if they exist alongside negativity about one's sexuality. Coming out can introdu…
The persistence and endurance of blood family
Families of choice is an important framework used to think about non-heterosexual people’s attachments. This means the family of origin has received limited attention when theorising their relationships. This group has often been considered in relation to coming out, which centralises the importance of sexuality for understanding kinship ties. This paper extends the limited, but growing scholarship on non-heterosexual people, and their families o…
Exploring queer people of colour's perceptions of pride in Sydney
Pride events in majority-White contexts reflect social structures and power relations which privilege individuals from that group. The normative Whiteness that shapes these societies influence the dominance of Whiteness in queer spaces and Pride events which take place in them. This paper focused on queer people of colour (QPoC), in Australia, to understand how their intersectional identities shape perceptions of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi …
Emerging Dilemmas in the Age of Resistance
The stage is set for a new era of precariousness in modern medicine, driven by the increasing failure of a key pharmaceutical pillar-antimicrobials. In the context of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), the rise of antimicrobial resistance is introducing urgent questions around what might constitute "best practice" in a rapidly evolving scene, including the value of asymptomatic screening (test and treat), and the consequent downstream collat…
Can death be casual
Death can be a difficult matter to talk about in face-to-face conversations. However, online platforms provide a safe space for people to express feelings and opinions freely. This paper is an attempt to explore how the taboo of discussing death in a casual manner is approached by individuals in an online space. The Death Café blogs were an apt starting point for this study as the movement itself is centred on fostering casual discussions around …
Mediated Urgency
Often, research takes place once a health issue is already at ‘crisis’ point. However, health professionals and populations can have different understandings of ‘urgency’. At present, health authorities, scientists and other medical professionals are increasingly concerned about escalating antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in the context of STIs. Clinicians worry about Neisseria gonorrhoeae becoming progressively resistant to last‐line treatment, as…
Encountering the Obsolete Art
Art is an essential glimpse into the history of humanity because it is often one of the few things to survive. It is a medium to express one’s feelings, which can tell us stories and relate the modes and beliefs of an era. Prehistoric art represents various aspects of the everyday life of early humans, including a diverse range of symbols and signs in multiple patterns. The present article explores how these ancient motifs can serve as the basis …
Religion as everyday resistance
GBTQ+ safe sex entanglements
Few studies have explored community experiences of our increasingly resistant bacterial landscape, and, in the sphere of sexually transmissible infections (STIs) and antimicrobial resistance, there is even greater absence of community-centred research. This is despite a growth in STI transmission worldwide, which, alongside accelerated resistance, will disproportionately affect GBTQ+ (gay, bisexual, trans, queer+) populations. In this article, dr…
Sampling and recruiting LGBTQ+ populations in health research
In this paper, we explore negotiations around sexuality and gender diverse identities together with sexual practices, and the materialities of bodies, as they relate to the sampling and recruitment of LGBTQ+ participants in health social science research. The basis of our research note is a reflection on our experiences of undertaking a study on the social dimensions of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in the context of sexually transmitted infecti…
Ritual Meals of Chaṭha
Festivals and rituals have been pivotal for transmitting and preserving cultural values, with food assuming a central role in these communal observances. This study delves into the intricate interplay between culinary practices, cultural identity, and religious expression by examining the Hindu festival of Chat.ha. The investigation centers on the multifaceted nature of Chat.ha. By closely examining the processes of procurement, preparation, offe…
Treatment 'cultures', sexually transmitted infections and the rise of antimicrobial resistance
In this article, we examine the current management of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), in the context of rising antimicrobial resistance (AMR), through the lens of 'treatment cultures'. Prevailing treatment cultures-including the prominence of syndromic care for STIs-foster certain possibilities and foreclose others, with important consequences for countering AMR. Drawing on qualitative interviews with STI professionals, experts and indust…
Caring infrastructures for sexual health and the implications of antibiotic-resistant STIs
Infrastructures fundamentally shape sexual health, but their gaps and failings often only come into view during moments of crisis. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a looming microbiological and global societal crisis, and one that is posing increasing challenges and risks for medical practice and public health alike. In sexual health, concerns have been raised about growing resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae and the less well-known Mycoplasma g…
Embodying the Goddess
This study explores the phenomenon of deity embodiment during the Chaṭha festival, focusing on the transformative religious encounters of the female primary worshippers—the parvaitins. The parvaitin transcends human–divine boundaries through her ritual mastery, ritualization and body techniques, and embodies the goddess Chaṭhī Māī. Through ethnographic fieldwork conducted in Varanasi, Patna, Munger and Sahibganj during the years 2021–23, the stud…
Emergence of the Buddhist Image Cult
Friendship and the Sociality of GBTQ+ Sexual Health in Times of Resistance
Sexual health has always been a social matter. While the science of disease transmission remains a focus for public health stakeholders, for social scientists, the sociality of infections, both enduring and emerging, remains central. That is, friendships and relationships are core to health, risk and illness. Yet, there has been virtually no work on how friendships and their varying contours are interplaying with (increasingly) antibiotic resista…
Institutional Patriarchy
It has been a decade since the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 was passed, but data shows that implementation of the law is unsatisfactory, and conviction is extremely low. Internal Complaints Committees that are set up to enquire into complaints have not even made a dent on this problem. This article attempts to analyse the policy through the theory of institutionalism. Institutional patr…
Political narratives and reconfiguration of Adivasi identity in Jharkhand
Reconfiguration of socio-political identity is an everyday phenomenon, but it intensifies and becomes more pronounced during electoral periods. Through field observations and the qualitative analysis of slogans, speeches, and pamphlets, the paper focuses on discursive practices mobilising the Adivasi identity in Jharkhand. It considers three recent political events, elucidating how they attempt to conceptualise the question of Adivasi identity an…
Sociology (13 works) · Political science (8 works) · Gender Studies (7 works) · Human sexuality (6 works) · Psychology (6 works) · LGBTQ Health, Identity, and Policy (5 works) · Social Psychology (5 works) · Social science (5 works) · Aesthetics (4 works) · Art (4 works)