I was chosen to be interviewed about my honors thesis on Persistent Open Defecation: The Curious Case of North India by NYU Stern. I gave a brief overview about the topic, what initially sparked my interest and the overall the research process in the Honors program.
“Give us a brief overview of your thesis:
India accounts for over sixty percent of global open defecation resulting in a series of economic, health, and social consequences. My thesis examines how economic and cultural factors impact the habit. In particular, I find that changing social norms and attitudes are crucial in eradicating open defecation in India.
What initially sparked your interest in your thesis topic?
My interest in the sanitation sector of India was sparked during the required Business and its Publics (BIP) first-year class during which I came up with a free market solution to providing rural Indians with access to toilets. However, upon conducting further research, I hypothesized that the lack of access to toilets might not be the main reason behind open defecation, a research question that I wanted to explore further through the honors program.”
Link to full interview is here.