Over the years, Ramaswami Mahalingam has been a math tutor, film script writer, children’s theater activist, poet, writer, lecturer, night watchman, dish washer, cook, janitor, book stacker, preschool teacher, structural engineer and psychologist.
As a result, Mahalingam quickly gained a first-hand look into the disparities and inequalities associated with different vocations. The themes present in his current areas of study are similarly influenced by his direct life experiences, both within the personal and professional spheres.
Part of his current work is influenced by his experience with lower-income jobs. He studies the different ways certain lines of work are devalued, and its workers marginalized, with the hopes of increasing the visibility of these issues.
“The reason I had all of these different kinds of jobs was to survive,” he said. “One of my jobs was as a janitor. My current work is looking at janitors and other ‘invisible people,’ and how people don’t pay attention to them.”
Read the full article at The University Record.
