Research on begging

Dr Sheba Saeed

Teaching Fellow & Non-practising Solicitor

University of Birmingham

United Kingdom

Dr Sheba Saeed, a solicitor by profession holds a Ph.D. from the University of Birmingham, UK. For her doctoral research she provided a critique on the regulation of begging in Mumbai using religious and secular laws in an audio-visual format with a written thesis. For her MPhil in History, Film and Television she produced and directed her debut documentary “Beggars of Lahore” as part of an audio-visual dissertation. The film has screened at International Conferences and Film Festivals.

She is a Research Associate with the Institute of Research into Superdiversity, (IRiS) and Teaching Fellow at the University of Birmingham, UK. She is currently also a Visiting Fellow at Lund University visiting both the School of Social Work and the Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights. She is conducting preliminary research on the superdiversity of the begging phenomenon in Northern Europe exploring three geographical contexts: the UK, Sweden and Denmark.

                                                         

                                                      Research on begging

Trailer for Beggars of Lahore

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSCKG5JZ9eI

Trailers for Begging in Sweden

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9-8p3vCYGQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3Fxb2hv7Xg

I first thought of researching begging during my MPhil in History, Film and Television. Itwas whilst I was studying for my MPhil that I went on a family holiday to Lahore, Pakistan, many years since my first and only visit during childhood. Lahore, is the birthplace of my Father who has passed away. When I visited Lahore, I seemed to have discovered a city that was so far away from my home back in England, yet there seemed a sense of belonging, an attachment that was there, the link being my Father. In Lahore, my family home built under the close eye of my Father is on the outskirts of the city which is almost like a developed bubble with all the amenities one could ask for anywhere in the world, away from the vibrant inner city. However, it was the inner city that I began to become inquisitive about, especially the great number of beggars. I felt a certain empathy towards what seemed to me disenfranchised people who were begging as a last resort, which led to a desire and academic need to research the topic. As a result of my legal background the framework of my f i l m , B e g g a r s o f Lahore ( 2 0 1 0 ) revolved around three core questions, firstly, why is there so much begging in Lahore? Secondly, whether begging is justified? And lastly whether there are any solutions? The written thesis involved academic rationales for the causes of begging and whether it is justified in Pakistani society, which led to attempting to arrive at solutions to curtail or eradicate this problem. Researching the begging phenomenon at Masters level was certainly a very insightful experience and one which highlighted the complex nature of begging, which I concluded could be attributed to a vast array of causes ranging from socio-economic to political and religious. Another important finding was that begging is a global phenomenon existing in both the developed and developing world, hence potentially opening the possibility of researching this interesting phenomenon in many global contexts. Given my interest in South Asia, I felt that the logical next step at doctoral level would be to research India, of which Pakistan was formerly a part. Upon initial research of begging in India, Mumbai seemed to be highlighted more than the capital, and it was ultimately the paradox between the images of the rich and very poor that we see that urged me to research the city. The begging phenomenon in Mumbai is a complex one in nature and causes for it are multidimensional, ranging from socio-economic to religion, crime and politics. Likewise, the beggar does not belong to a homogenous group. The focus of the doctoral written thesis and documentary was the regulatory nature of the begging phenomenon in two spheres: that of religious and secular legislation. The analysis revealed causes of the phenomenon and explored power dynamics that emanated from these two infrastructures within society. I have recently undertaken preliminary research exploring begging in Sweden, where it is a very new phenomenon. Sweden has seen an influx of migration from EU members of Roma origin who are finding themselves begging on the streets. I have produced a film Begging in Sweden (2016) which explores the complexities of this transnational livelihood migration which is met with challenges for both those who are in a vulnerable position begging on the streets and Swedish society itself for whom this is a new phenomenon. The film asks, amongst other things, what legal and social measures are in place for this new community and how this has lead to a national debate dividing the country.