[Reader-list] Research on Indian Middle Class / Overseas Students

[Michiel Baas]

Dear All,
 
For a while I have read the posts on this list and this is the first
time I am posting myself. 

My name is Michiel Baas, and I am a fourth year PhD student in
Amsterdam, doing research on the topic of Indian overseas students in
Melbourne, Australia. Earlier research I was involved in had to do with
the lives and lifestyles of IT professionals in Bangalore. It was also
then that I first learned of the huge number of Indian students going to
Australia. One of the most interesting things for me that many were
actually planning a life out(side) of India. Studying in Australia meant
immigrating out of India. If one studies in Australia for two years, one
can apply for a permanent residency afterwards. In 2005 I conducted one
year of anthropological fieldwork in Melbourne, gathering data on Indian
overseas students, as well as others such as local Indian community
members, immigration/education agents, tutors/lecturers/professors etc. 
 
Recently the List discussed Mayawati's come to power, and attention was
also paid to the rise of the (new/upcoming) middle class. As most of the
people my research focuses on belong to the (middle/upper) middle class,
I am interested in reading work of others who have also focused on this
topic. Through this forum I hope to get in touch with some of you. Do
let me know if you are interested in exchanging views on the middle
class, maybe sharing some findings etc. One of my key questions deals
with: why do Indian (middle class) students want to leave India? Why
this particular way? 
 
Kind regards,
 
Michiel Baas

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Michiel Baas - Room B 2.05 'Het Oost-Indisch Huis'
Amsterdam School for Social science Research(ASSR)
University of Amsterdam
Kloveniersburgwal 48
1012 CX Amsterdam
The Netherlands

Office: +31 (0) 20 525 22 53
Fax: +31 (0) 20 525 24 46
Mobile: +31 (0) 6 18 66 28 32
Email: m.baas2 at uva.nl / michielbaas at yahoo.com 
http://www2.fmg.uva.nl/assr/scholars/phdstudents/baas.html