South Asia Studies
Aashna Desai
Aashna Desai is from Charlotte, North Carolina.
"My research topic focused on the economic development of small scale and marginal farmers in rural India. This project was supervised by the Center for the Advanced Study of India (CASI). Through CASI I interned at Samaj Pragati Sahayog (SPS) last summer, which is a Non Government Organization working for sustainable rural development in Madhya Pradesh, India. I conducted a study on the NGO’s commodity aggregation program. In rural India, marginal farmers in the regions have historically relied on village traders to sell their crops to agricultural markets --where exploitatively low prices and vicious debt schemes have often kept farmers poor. To overcome this, SPS created a commodity aggregation Producer Company, a for-profit entity required to serve and be managed by marginal women farmers. The company buys crops from small farmers, inspects and aggregates the produce, and sells it to large city markets. My data showed that a fourth of shareholding women farmers who can sell to the company actually do so. There is an issue relating to poor economies of scale –the smaller the base of contributing famers threatens the success of the Company. It is more efficient for the aggregation Company receive larger volume of crops as transportation becomes more economical, and the markets that are tapped into are bigger. Thus, my central research question asks why do most farmers of shareholding SHGs not contribute to the Producer Company? And what are the logistical and systemic dilemmas the Company will face in moving forward?
The most rewarding part of the research project was connecting the learning from my Wharton classes with the research-on-the ground including interviewing women that were previously overlooked by the Company. The research required interacting with over two hundred women to gather both quantitative data (for example, prices received for each crop) and qualitative data (level of satisfaction with the company). I connected with these women by exchanging stories, listening to grievances and their deep insights, and promising them that I’d document their daily struggles –and this was one of the most enriching experiences of my life. I had fun writing and analyzing the data and drawing conclusions about the status of the company. It was rejuvenating to see how my degree could be put to use in a purposeful way.
I was surprised by how complex selecting a research topic and question can be. On the one hand, the topic needed to be narrow to allow you to get a handle on it, and on the other hand, you had to be sure not to neglect entire areas of analysis fundamental to the topic. You cannot write volumes for an undergraduate research project – so you had to scope to include the pertinent topics, without veering off into tangentially related topics.
Directing my own research project has spurred me to continue with research. I received a grant last summer through Wharton’s Social Impact Research Experience to write a research study on financing affordable housing for the low-income in urban India. After making some forays into the research project I understood how broad the topic is – I now plan on supplementing the overview I have written with a quantitative study on affordable housing in India for my senior thesis. Staying involved in research throughout one’s undergraduate studies allows you to dig deep into a few topics, while building a broad repertoire of interests.
Thinking about post graduate life, the thought of earning a living by reading, investigating, and writing on the very topics I am passionate about appeals to me –and it seems more and more inevitable that I will pursue a PhD in a field where social science meets business/economics. I think it would be great to be a professor one day, involved in research to address fundamental social questions.
My advice to students about getting involved in research is that Penn has a wealth of research programs for undergraduates that offer financial support. It also encourages you to engage in research, and you should be able to find a topic that will nurture your interests. There are programs tailored to a diverse range of field, from medicine, to the social sciences, to business, from India, to Latin America, to Africa, and combinations thereof. Read widely on a variety of questions that interest you. Once you have a basic grasp on a topic, email a few professors to discuss your topic. A 20-minute conversation can be crucial in helping shape your project. Research at Penn requires students to take the initiative and be responsible for their project. Do not worry about the project will revolutionize the field of study —undergraduate research is about you exploring your own passion."