Selfing the City

Ipshita Chanda is Professor at the Department of Comparative Literature, English and Foreign Languages University, Hyderabad. She has been ICCR Visiting Professor of Indian Culture, Georgetown University (2013–14). A member of the Faculty Team in the International Faculty Exchange Programme of the Virginia Council for International Education and the Virginia Community College System, 2008–09, she has written extensively in books/journals including the edited volume Shaping the Discourse: Women’s Writings in Bengali Periodicals: 1865–1947 (Stree, 2014); Packaging Freedom: Feminism and Popular Culture (Stree, 2003). She is also a SAGE author.

• AcknowledgementsIntroductionEntering the Space: Diversity through a Gender LensThe City: Relations in Urban SpaceInhabiting the City: The ChallengesA Room in the City: Constructing a Private SpaceFinding the ‘Self’Friendships: Creating a CommunityThe ′Safe′ City and Outsider WomenThe ′Self′ and the City: New RolesThe Outsider and Equitable Social SpaceAppendix 1 The SurveyAppendix 2 History of the CityAppendix 3 Post-partition Refugee Settlement in South CalcuttaIndex

All in all this is a fascinating book. When worldly occurrences in everyday life are underpinned with relevant theoretical aspects, we enter a myriad world of profound learning. I salute the author for bringing a rare subject to life in all its glory. It is a difficult book to read but the rewards are genuine and lasting.