Enduring precarity in the Global South: lived experiences and coping strategies of construction workers in Assam, India
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: This study examines the lived experiences and coping strategies of informal construction workers in Assam, India, within the framework of enduring precarity and fragmented social protection. It explores how workers navigate structural vulnerabilities in the absence of effective institutional support. Using a mixed-method approach, the study combines a cross-sectional survey of 765 workers with focus group discussions and in-depth interviews across selected cities. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics and cross-tabulations, while qualitative data were thematically interpreted. The findings reveal a predominantly young, migrant, and low-educated workforce exposed to hazardous working conditions, inadequate housing, and limited access to welfare schemes. Despite the presence of social protection programmes, registration and coverage remain low, and union presence is minimal. In response to these vulnerabilities, workers endure by relying on contractor advances, occupational diversification, informal networks, and somatic coping practices to manage income instability and health risks. While these strategies enable short-term survival, they often reinforce long-term vulnerabilities. The findings highlight the need for context-sensitive policy interventions addressing structural barriers to social protection. The study contributes to the existing literature by empirically grounding the concept of “enduring precarity” and demonstrating how survival strategies simultaneously function as coping mechanisms and mechanisms of structural reproduction.
Source: Society Register
DOI: 10.14746/sr.54123
Institution: Cotton University
Language: English
Subfield: Industrial relations
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7213300331