Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Bhujel'

Between 1890 and 1948, Umrao Singh Sher-Gil (1870–1954) a philosopher, Sanskritist, Persianist and father of India’s greatest modernist painter Amrita Sher-Gil, produced a remarkable body of photographic self-portraits. The photographs, usually very small were always of himself in aristocratic-bourgeois settings, which ranged from Paris, Budapest, Simla and Lahore. These images prove to be the starting point for my own research into self-portraiture and a re-appraisal of the term ‘cosmopolitanism’. Central to my re-figuring of ‘cosmopolitanism’ is a refutation of the Kantian ideal of the self-identical, self-sufficient, immune and transcendental subject. I intend to map out how the term has been re-claimed and recalibrated by myriad postcolonial academics and scholars in contemporary critical and cultural theory. My own participation in the on-going re-evaluation of ‘cosmopolitanism’ is done through the detailed study of the lives and works of my three case studies: Sher-Gil, the painter Bhupen Khakhar (1934- 2003), and photographer Raghubir Singh (1942–1999). In my discussion of their respective oeuvres, place and location are foregrounded, taking into account physical movement, but more crucially modes of affiliation and belonging. In my research, a rethinking of ‘cosmopolitanism’ rests on the assertion that a ‘cosmopolitan self’ evolves from correspondences between disparate parties and places. Community, friendship, networks of affiliation and interpersonal exchange are critical to study and acknowledge. The other fundamental concern of this thesis is an emphasis on emotion, and emotional connections to spaces. Geography can and should be read as being populated by emotions, and the narratives of lives can be told through the emotional connections to certain places and spaces. With this research I do not wish to establish a definition or a model of a South Asian cosmopolitan or cosmopolitanism, which is a dangerous and limiting gesture. With the aid of Sher-Gil, Khakhar and Singh I hope to make apparent that for a cosmopolitan sensibility to be formed, physical travel, affluence, and privilege are not necessities. Neither is relinquishing an attachment to place or, inversely, claiming multiple attachments to places, but rather advocating for a recognition of the connection between space and emotion, and how the affects produced from these lived conditions and experiences are manifested, materialised and should be appreciated. Another aspect of this research project is an engagement with a mode of heuristic inquiry, where there is an emphasis on the researcher’s internal frame of reference, the researchers present. Thus, the temporal frame of the thesis produced by my selection of case studies, spans from India’s transition as a colony to an independent nation, but continuing on consciously to my own locatedness, at a moment when it is emerging as a global capitalist power led by a Hindu nationalist government. All of which prompts a continued consideration of the tension between nationalism and cosmopolitanism. It begs the question, how has and can one continue to arbitrate between local attachments and the world at large?

Thesis: S.M., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Mechanical Engineering, 2017.
Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 223-228).
In a 2004 Global Health Risks report, the World Heath Organization identified insufficient protection from extreme heat as one of the primary heath concerns in developing nations. The combination of a harsh environment and the lack of coping resources can lead to cardiovascular and respiratory disease and in some cases, death. Throughout May 2015, an estimated 2,500 Indian citizens lost their lives as a result of deadly heatwaves that topped 46°C. Globally, more than 7,500 deaths were caused by extreme heat the same year. Those living in resource-constrained communities without the means to construct substantial housing are the most vulnerable to these harsh weather conditions. As the developing world experiences increasing rapid urbanization, an energy gap, and frequent heatwaves due to climate change, there is a critical need for new construction techniques that can regulate indoor temperature using passive means rather than energy consuming appliances. Though some thermal passive cooling techniques have been previously researched, they have yet to be successfully implemented in resource-constrained communities. In collaboration with the Hunnarshala Foundation, an NGO located in Bhuj, Gujarat, India, this research seeks to bridge the gap between thermal passive techniques and the application of these methods in low-income housing. This thesis presents recommendations on roof design, wall design, and fan usage based on the results from prototype field work, simulations, and the implementation of pilot homes. With an appropriate building design, measured operative temperatures in pilot homes met the ASHRAE 80% acceptability criteria for more than 60% of operating hours and remained within the IMAC 80% acceptability range 88% of operating hours in the Bhuj climate. In the context of India, the discoveries from this case study in Bhuj can be used to write building guidelines to holistically improve the thermal comfort in Indian homes as a part of India's "Housing for All" program. Beyond the context of India, the more than 300 million people living in resource-constrained regions can adopt low-cost passive thermal control techniques to build housing capable of shielding against extreme heat.
by Emma Nelson.
S.M.

La thèse vise à explorer le rôle que les connaissances et les pratiques du corps reproducteur féminin jouent dans le processus de gynécopoïèse. Comment la production, la reproduction, la transformation et la contestation des connaissances sur la reproduction influencent-elles la manière dont les femmes vivent leur corps? Quelles sont les implications de ce processus sur la construction et l'expérience de genre? La thèse est basée sur une recherche ethnographique menée auprès d'une trentaine de femmes qui vivent dans la ville de Bhuj (Gujarat, Inde). La recherche a une approche intégrant une méthodologie visuelle et narrative, proposant la technique de la cartographie corporelle comme outil d'analyse des représentations corporelles. Le texte est organisé en trois parties, chacune présentant un angle d'analyse différent, à savoir la représentation, la production et les soins du corps. La première partie porte sur l'articulation des connaissances anatomiques et physiologiques, où le corps est étudié dans sa matérialité et dans ses manifestations somatiques, en examinant l'articulation sémantique et symbolique des différents fluides corporels. La deuxième partie examine les différentes connaissances et pratiques du corps qui accompagnent le processus de subjectivisation féminine. Enfin, le corps est analysé du point de vue de la santé reproductive: comment les femmes conçoivent-elles et font-elles face à la maladie? Deux des systèmes médicaux les plus utilisés par les femmes à Bhuj ont été examinés, à savoir l'allopathie et la médecine locale (deśī), représentées par les pratiques des dāī māṃ (sage-femme traditionnelle)
This thesis explores the knowledge and practices of the female reproductive body in the process of gynecopoiesis. How do the production, reproduction, transformation and contestation of knowledge about reproduction influence the way women live their bodies? What are the implications of this process on the gender construction and experience? This thesis is based on ethnographic research conducted with thirty women who lived in the city of Bhuj (Gujarat, India). The research has an approach that integrates a visual and narrative methodology, proposing the technique of body mapping as a tool for analysing body representations. The text is organized in three parts. Each part presents with a different angle of analysis: representation, production and care of the female reproductive body. The first part, which is structured around the body maps, focuses on the articulation of anatomical and physiological knowledge. The body is investigated in its materiality and in its somatic manifestations, by the semantic and symbolic articulation of the different bodily substances and fluids. The second part considers the knowledge about the body and different practices that accompany the process of female subjectivation through a project of intentional shaping. In this context, two of the medical systems most used by women in Bhuj have been taken into consideration: allopathic and local medicine (deśī) represented by the practices of dāī māṃ (traditional birth attendant)

La tesi esplora il ruolo che i saperi e le pratiche del corpo riproduttivo femminile hanno nel processo di ginecopoiesi. In che modo la produzione, la riproduzione, la trasformazione e la contestazione dei saperi sulla riproduzione influenzano il modo in cui le donne vivono il proprio corpo? Che implicazioni ha questo processo sulla costruzione e l’esperienza del genere? La tesi si basa su una ricerca etnografica condotta con trenta donne che abitano nella città di Bhuj nello stato del Gujarat, in India. Questo studio mi ha permesso di indagare in che modo sono percepiti e vissuti i diversi processi riproduttivi (es. mestruazione, gravidanza, parto, allattamento, menopausa etc.), prestando particolare attenzione al linguaggio e alle metafore utilizzate per descriverli. La ricerca ha un approccio che integra una metodologia visiva e narrativa, proponendo la tecnica della cartografia corporea come strumento di analisi delle rappresentazioni del corpo. Infine, lo studio prende in considerazione la costruzione della salute riproduttiva da parte delle donne e come questa si riconfiguri nell’incontro con la bio-medicalizzazione del corpo femminile. Il testo è organizzato in tre parti, ognuna delle quali presenta un diverso angolo di analisi: la rappresentazione, la fabbricazione e la cura del corpo riproduttivo femminile. La prima parte, strutturata attorno alle cartografie del corpo, si focalizza sull’articolazione dei saperi anatomici e fisiologici. Il corpo è indagato nella sua materialità e nelle sue manifestazioni somatiche, investigando l’articolazione semantica e simbolica delle diverse sostanze e fluidi corporei. La seconda parte considera i diversi saperi e pratiche corporee che accompagnano il processo di soggettivizzazione femminile attraverso un progetto di plasmazione intenzionale. L’autorità di questo disegno è fissata in un modello di femminilità che trascende le diverse correnti religiose, castali o sociali e che è applicato e perpetuato dalle singole donne attraverso una trasmissione femminile. L’ultima parte analizza il corpo dal punto di vista della salute riproduttiva e descrive in che modo le donne concepiscono e affrontano la malattia. In quest’ambito, sono stati presi in considerazione due tra i sistemi medici più utilizzati dalle donne a Bhuj: la medicina allopatica e quella locale (deśī) rappresentata dalle pratiche delle dāī māṃ (traditional birth attendant).
This thesis explores the knowledge and practices of the female reproductive body in the process of gynecopoiesis. How do the production, reproduction, transformation and contestation of knowledge about reproduction influence the way women live their bodies? What are the implications of this process on the gender construction and experience? This thesis is based on ethnographic research conducted with thirty women who lived in the city of Bhuj in the state of Gujarat in India. I tried to explore the way in which the different reproductive processes are seen and experienced (ex. menstruation, pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, etc.), paying particular attention to the language and metaphors used to describe them. The research has an approach that integrates a visual and narrative methodology, proposing the technique of body mapping as a tool for analysing body representations. Finally, the research considers how women construct their reproductive health and how reproductive health is reconfigured in the encounter with bio-medicalization of the female body, which is becoming increasingly widespread in the region. The text is organized in three parts. Each part presents with a different angle of analysis: representation, production and care of the female reproductive body. The first part, which is structured around the body maps, focuses on the articulation of anatomical and physiological knowledge. The body is investigated in its materiality and in its somatic manifestations, by the semantic and symbolic articulation of the different bodily substances and fluids. The second part considers the knowledge about the body and different practices that accompany the process of female subjectivation through a project of intentional shaping. The authority of this discourse is set in a model of femininity that transcends the different religious, castal or social groups. This discourse is applied and perpetuated by individual women, through a feminine transmission. In the last section, the body is analysed from the perspective of reproductive health and describes how women conceive and cope with illness. In this context, two of the medical systems most used by women in Bhuj have been taken into consideration: allopathic and local medicine (deśī) represented by the practices of dāī māṃ (traditional birth attendant).

Thesis: S.M., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Architecture, 2015.
This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections.
Cataloged from student-submitted PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 154-157).
In the 2010 International Workshop on Housing, Health and Climate Change Meeting Report, the World Health Organization identifies housing as a primary cause of poor health in developing countries. The report cites inadequate protection from extreme heat as one of six major concerns for healthy housing environments. As India's population rapidly increases, informal settlements face particular heat risk because of harsh climate conditions, sub-standard building construction and lack of access to electricity for mechanical cooling. There is a need for housing to provide thermal comfort and health by passive means at low cost. Climate specific passive cooling techniques are well known, but are rarely implemented in informal settlements because of density, lack of resources, design integration, and materials availability. This thesis is situated in the practical connection of two normally disparate parts: applied research in passive cooling techniques, and design for development. The work presented results from the establishment of an international co-design partnership between MIT and The Hunnarshala Foundation for Building Technology and Innovations, an NGO based in the hot and arid region of Bhuj, India. It presents data analysis and codesign work that drove the development, field prototyping, and evaluation of appropriate, implementable building solutions to improve thermal conditions in affordable housing in hot and arid climates. New low-cost, multi-layered roof assembly designs are presented and evaluated. Experimental results show that even in severe arid climates the interior conditions can approach ASHRAE and EN 15251 Adaptive Thermal Comfort standards through most of the operating hours. The results of this research will be an important contribution to the designs of the initial phase of the large-scale Rajiv Awas Yojana Slum Free Bhuj re-development housing construction over the next five years in Western India.
by Madeline S. Gradillas.
S.M.

Thesis: S.M. in Building Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Architecture, 2018.
This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections.
Cataloged from student-submitted PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 150-155).
The use of air conditioning in the buildings sector has been rapidly increasing. The International Energy Agency projects that rising income and greater access to air conditioning equipment in many developing countries will increase CO₂-equivalent emissions, energy consumption, and urban heat island effects. India is a prime example of a region where new building trends, hot climatic conditions, increasing social aspirations, and rapid population growth is likely to spread the adoption of air conditioning. To reduce the need for air conditioning, the research team has worked to develop, implement, and evaluate methods to reduce temperatures within the built environment using largely passive means. Building on the past work of Nelson and Gradillas, the thesis presents the results of long-term temperature monitoring within four homes in Bhuj, India. Results from the collective work have helped to inform future designs for the region, and resulted in an innovative roof concept. Using scale models, thermal simulations, and full-scale housing, results from the thesis explore new methods of implementing solutions for reduced solar heat gain, reduced heat absorption, and increased heat rejection. The research concludes by presenting early work on additional techniques and implications of using indigenous products to better thermal comfort conditions. Applicable outside of India, the techniques can be utilized in other regions and climates, as well as concurrently with active cooling systems to reduce energy consumption or extend existing capacity. Further work will seek to improve the design and adaptability of the system to different regions.
by Johnathan J. Kongoletos.
S.M. in Building Technology

This thesis uses the lens of building technology to examine cultural exchange and its relationship to the building crafts. By focusing on masonry vaulting in India, my research brings together two worlds – one that shines light on the variety of innovative masonry shell construction techniques that exist in the county and another that seeks to evaluate the scope of tile vaulting, an over 600-year old Mediterranean building technique, within India’s evolving building crafts culture. This thesis is organized in three parts: PART ONE Tile Vaulting and Relevance Today | A Brief History of Masonry Shells in India Part one introduces tile vaulting’s unique principles compared to other vaulting traditions while contextualizing its relevance to present day India. A survey of varied masonry vaulting techniques and modules, endemic and imported, practiced across India is presented against the backdrop of what is a predominantly reinforced concrete-based construction industry. PART TWO Modules, Methods and Motivations The second part of this research comprises case studies that include some of India’s most iconic buildings such as the Villa Sarabhai by Le Corbusier, the National Institute of Design by Gautam Sarabhai and Sangath by B.V. Doshi, each of which employed innovative construction techniques for its vaults. The production and use of the enigmatic ceramic fuses in India is examined for the first time alongside their indigenous cousins: burnt clay tubes. Together with Muzaffarnagar vaulting, the case studies reveal cultural motivations for architectural expression and production in postcolonial India. PART THREE Prototypes | Comparatives | Limitations & Extension of Research Part three presents five tile vaulting prototypes in India constructed with local artisans to gain understanding of its cultural reception, assess effective transfer of skills and potential internalisation. Recommendations for tile vaulting’s potential uptake into mainstream architectural production is evaluated by comparing findings against prevalent building methods and by contextualizing current architectural trends and social policy. Limitations and scope for extension of research are also discussed.

Seismology is the study of earth vibrations mainly caused by earthquakes. The study of these vibrations by various techniques, understanding the nature and various physical processes that generate them from the major part of the seismology. A seismic design of high rise buildings has assumed considerable importance in recent times. In traditional methods adopted based on fundamental mode of the structure and distribution of earthquake forces as static forces at various stories may be adequate for structures of small height subjected to earthquake of very low intensity but as the number of stories increases the seismic design demands more rigor.

Local site conditions are known to influence ground motion during earthquake events and increase the severity of damage. Data from earthquakes are useful to study the response but they are available only from active regions. Ubiquitous ambient vibrations on the other hand offer a more practical approach to quantify site responses. This thesis explores the use of various methods for obtaining site responses. The primary area of study is the Kachchh rift basin, NW India, a Mesozoic rift that features significant lateral variations in surface geology and has experienced ground responses during 1819 and 2001 earthquakes. The Mw 7.6, 2001 event was followed by hundreds of aftershocks, which were recorded by temporary networks. In this study we have used earthquake signals as well as ambient vibrations to understand site response in various parts of the basin. In addition we have collected data from a few sites from the Indo-Gangetic plains and Kathmandu valley, both affected by large earthquakes, 1934 the M ~ 8 (Bihar) and 2015, Mw 7.8 (Nepal). Velocity and acceleration records from a network of eight stations in the Kachchh Rift were used to evaluate site responses using Standard Spectral Ratio (SSR) and Horizontal to Vertical spectral ratio (HVSR-E) methods. Ambient vibrations were analyzed following Nakamura’s H/V method (HVSR-AV), for data collected from 110 sites that represent different field conditions within the Kachchh Rift. Fundamental resonance frequency (f0) varied between 0.12 – 2.30 Hz, while the amplification factor (A0) was in the range of 2.0 – 9.1. We found that higher A0 and liquefaction index (Kg) values were mostly associated with higher liquefaction potential. Using a close network of stations, we studied the role of site response in damage to the Bhuj city that suffered maximum damage in 2001; our results suggest that site response was not a significant factor. Studies based on passive data were complemented by Multi-channel Analysis of Surface Waves (MASW) to map shear wave velocities of the various subsurface units up to depths of 10m (Vs10) and 30m (Vs30). Our results imply average Vs could be a good proxy to characterize site amplifications where sediment thicknesses are shallow. Power law relationship between f0 and thickness (h) suggest a strong positive correlation (r = 0.89) adding credence to HVSR-AV method, making it a cost-effective alternative to MASW to infer site conditions. Further, to understand the influence of topography on site effects, we analyzed data from hills, valleys and their edges, both from the Kachchh rift and Kathmandu valley. Sites on the edges of valleys showed multiple, fuzzy peaks in the low frequency range (< 1 Hz) and broad peaks attributable to sites prone to higher damage. Spectrograms generated through Huang-Hilbert Transforms (HHT) suggested focusing of energy in narrow frequency bands on the edges, while valleys tend to scatter energy over wide frequencies. Although our current results are based on limited observations, we recognize spectral analysis as a powerful tool to quantify site effects in regions with significant topography. It is known that coseismic liquefaction could lead to nonlinear behavior wherein the near-surface soil layer loses its shear strength, causing a reduction of its fundamental resonance frequency. We used data from selected sites of coseismic liquefaction to highlight the significance of nonlinear effects in site response. Earthquake signals and ambient vibrations from Umedpur, a region that experienced intense liquefaction during 2001 were used in this analysis. Here we followed an empirical decomposition method based on HHT and signals were decomposed as many intrinsic mode functions (IMFs) that showed characteristic peaks for events of various values of PGAs. Thus, the first IMF for events with relatively higher PGAs (0.03g) showed distinct peaks for the S wave coda part, which were not noted for those with lower PGA (0.01g). These observations in a region of coseismic liquefaction are useful in developing models for quantifying nonlinear behavior. In conclusion, site response studies using different types of data and processing techniques in regions affected by recent earthquakes brings out the scope and limitations of each of these sets of data and techniques. This study suggests that ambient vibrations provide reasonable estimates of site response and can be reliably used in regions where earthquake data are not available.

Local site conditions are known to influence ground motion during earthquake events and increase the severity of damage. Data from earthquakes are useful to study the response but they are available only from active regions. Ubiquitous ambient vibrations on the other hand offer a more practical approach to quantify site responses. This thesis explores the use of various methods for obtaining site responses. The primary area of study is the Kachchh rift basin, NW India, a Mesozoic rift that features significant lateral variations in surface geology and has experienced ground responses during 1819 and 2001 earthquakes. The Mw 7.6, 2001 event was followed by hundreds of aftershocks, which were recorded by temporary networks. In this study we have used earthquake signals as well as ambient vibrations to understand site response in various parts of the basin. In addition we have collected data from a few sites from the Indo-Gangetic plains and Kathmandu valley, both affected by large earthquakes, 1934 the M ~ 8 (Bihar) and 2015, Mw 7.8 (Nepal). Velocity and acceleration records from a network of eight stations in the Kachchh Rift were used to evaluate site responses using Standard Spectral Ratio (SSR) and Horizontal to Vertical spectral ratio (HVSR-E) methods. Ambient vibrations were analyzed following Nakamura’s H/V method (HVSR-AV), for data collected from 110 sites that represent different field conditions within the Kachchh Rift. Fundamental resonance frequency (f0) varied between 0.12 – 2.30 Hz, while the amplification factor (A0) was in the range of 2.0 – 9.1. We found that higher A0 and liquefaction index (Kg) values were mostly associated with higher liquefaction potential. Using a close network of stations, we studied the role of site response in damage to the Bhuj city that suffered maximum damage in 2001; our results suggest that site response was not a significant factor. Studies based on passive data were complemented by Multi-channel Analysis of Surface Waves (MASW) to map shear wave velocities of the various subsurface units up to depths of 10m (Vs10) and 30m (Vs30). Our results imply average Vs could be a good proxy to characterize site amplifications where sediment thicknesses are shallow. Power law relationship between f0 and thickness (h) suggest a strong positive correlation (r = 0.89) adding credence to HVSR-AV method, making it a cost-effective alternative to MASW to infer site conditions. Further, to understand the influence of topography on site effects, we analyzed data from hills, valleys and their edges, both from the Kachchh rift and Kathmandu valley. Sites on the edges of valleys showed multiple, fuzzy peaks in the low frequency range (< 1 Hz) and broad peaks attributable to sites prone to higher damage. Spectrograms generated through Huang-Hilbert Transforms (HHT) suggested focusing of energy in narrow frequency bands on the edges, while valleys tend to scatter energy over wide frequencies. Although our current results are based on limited observations, we recognize spectral analysis as a powerful tool to quantify site effects in regions with significant topography. It is known that coseismic liquefaction could lead to nonlinear behavior wherein the near-surface soil layer loses its shear strength, causing a reduction of its fundamental resonance frequency. We used data from selected sites of coseismic liquefaction to highlight the significance of nonlinear effects in site response. Earthquake signals and ambient vibrations from Umedpur, a region that experienced intense liquefaction during 2001 were used in this analysis. Here we followed an empirical decomposition method based on HHT and signals were decomposed as many intrinsic mode functions (IMFs) that showed characteristic peaks for events of various values of PGAs. Thus, the first IMF for events with relatively higher PGAs (0.03g) showed distinct peaks for the S wave coda part, which were not noted for those with lower PGA (0.01g). These observations in a region of coseismic liquefaction are useful in developing models for quantifying nonlinear behavior. In conclusion, site response studies using different types of data and processing techniques in regions affected by recent earthquakes brings out the scope and limitations of each of these sets of data and techniques. This study suggests that ambient vibrations provide reasonable estimates of site response and can be reliably used in regions where earthquake data are not available.