Stigma Matrix

Fauzia Husain is Assistant Professor of Sociology at Queens University. Her work has been published in Signs and Poetics.

"This is an impressive, gorgeously written book that tackles a question of vital importance. Fauzia Husain situates stigma as a force that reaches from the historical colonial past, across decades of neoliberal global forces, and renders its micro-contextual consequences starkly in the intimate daily lives of women tasked with enacting the will of the state under incredibly difficult conditions."—Erin McDonnell, Author of Patchwork Leviathan "This remarkable and richly detailed ethnography explores how frontline women workers in Pakistan navigate the colliding norms of purdah and neoliberal economic policies. With a keen analytical eye, Fauzia Husain shows how cultural stigma is shaped, while also providing a novel and multifaceted account of women's agency. The Stigma Matrix is mandatory reading for anyone interested in gender and work in global contexts."—Rachel Rinaldo, Author of Mobilizing Piety "[The Stigma Matrix] is well written and will be accessible even to those who know little about Pakistan or Islam. Recommended."—G. M. Farr, CHOICE "The Stigma Matrix is written in an accessible manner and provides a compelling mix of ethnographic narratives and complex theoretical work. Husain provides a contemporary perspective on canonical topics such as stigma and agency and offers portable frameworks that scholars may apply in other contexts."—Sidra Kamran, Journal of Development Studies "An important contribution to the scholarship on gender, neoliberalism, and the public space, The Stigma Matrix is a meticulously crafted book that explores the experiences of the 'so-called dirty women' in Pakistan's public service.... The book convincingly attends to how political economic structures and colonial histories generate stigma for women and work in particular globalized contexts."—Maria Rashid, The Developing Economies "The Stigma Matrix is an elegantly written and critical contribution to the growing scholarly literature on gender in Pakistan. It beautifully explicates how women navigate stigma while maintaining their dignity and integrity as frontline public workers in a deeply patriarchal context."—Ayesha Khan, Pacific Affairs

• AcknowledgmentsINTRODUCTION1. THE GLOBAL CONSTITUENTS OF SEXUALIZED STIGMAS IN PAKISTAN2. THE MESO LEVEL OF THE STIGMA MATRIX: THE CONTEXTS OF STIGMA IN FRONTLINE WORK3. VEILED DELICACY: AGENTIC RESPONSES TO STIGMA IN THE PAKISTANI POLICE FORCE4. SACRED CONDUITS: STIGMA AND THE AGENCY OF HEALTH WORKERS5. MAVENS OF MOBILITY: HOW AIRLINE WOMEN NAVIGATE STIGMA6. SPECTACULAR AGENCY: STUNNING DRAMAS OF RECRUITMENTCONCLUSION: MOVING FORWARD WITH THE STIGMA MATRIXAppendixNotesBibliographyIndex