Research Work

Research Work

As part of MA in Media Studies, I have written dissertation on the topic “How the media represent socio-cultural risks: a comparative discourse analysis of media texts about a religious minority (Ahmadis) and the majority in Pakistan”. It is a comparative study of different media outlets (the BBC, Dawn, Nawa-I-Waqt). It shows the media work under socio-cultural taboo systems.

At the end of first semester at the Roskilde University Centre (RUC) I as a part of group-work wrote a critical research report on the topic “Re-Imaging the Past: An analysis of how Federal Government of the United States has been able to affect what films are made and what types of images they perpetuate through Hollywood.” Available at http://dspace.ruc.dk/items-by-author?author=khoso%2C+abdullah.

During my career at Pakistan Institute of Labour Education of Pakistan (PILER), I wrote an analytical report based on fieldwork on the topic “Impact Analysis of Intervention for the Release and Rehabilitation of Bonded Labour in Pakistan.” The fieldwork was conducted in Sindh province of Pakistan. One of the results of the study was, all rehabilitation and release interventions are without long term planning and proper look after which result in the going back of ex-bonded labourer into the same vicious circle of debt bondage.

The second research activity at PILER was preparation of an investigative report based on fieldwork on the topic “Working Conditions of Fishermen in Pakistan.” I had conducted interviews, then piled up data in the report and submitted with the respective organization. Research shows majority of the fishermen work in informal setup and have no provision of social security benefits. These workers are marginalized in their industry.

During my stay with National Rural Support Programme, Pakistan, the major work I did was Market Research for the ILO-NRSP project in Hyderabad Sindh, “Prevention of Family Indebtedness with Micro-finance and other Related Service.” Formulated research design, conducted fieldwork, wrote report and submitted with the NRSP. Since, ex-bonded labourers in the camps (in the Hyderabad city of Sindh) do not have formal skills; therefore, survey was conducted to assess the more profit giving activities in the market, which do not involve much investment and skills.

In the fourth semester at the Quaid-I-Azam University (QAU), I conducted anthropological field research and in fifth semester wrote thesis as a compulsory part of M.A on the topic “Survival Strategies of a Fisherman Community of Manchhar Lake in Sindh.” It was an ethnographic study. It figured out various socio-economic strategies by the fishermen in dying ecology of the lake. The Manchhar Lake has lost its natural beauty because of continuous flow of saline-water from upper part of the country, which has resulted severe problems for the fishermen who have been living on the lake water for centuries.