Final Year Project

Project Title

The 'Other' and Feelings of Safety, Belonging, and Isolation in Karachi's Gated Communities

Description

This paper investigates safety, belonging, and isolation in Karachi's gated communities, focusing on how residents perceive and interact with individuals from different socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds. Using a mixed-methods approach, I explore how ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and gender contribute to exclusivity and influence perceptions of safety, belonging, and isolation. Findings suggest that exclusivity is reinforced by class and ethnic tensions, with most residents reporting high safety and belonging, though isolation levels vary by ethnicity and area. The study applies Edward Said's Orientalism and Stanley Brunn's Gated Mind to offer new insights into how psychological and social boundaries define urban life in Karachi. Additionally, it addresses an unexplored gap in local discourse: the intersection of security, exclusion, and identity in gated communities.