Biography

Naheem writes on South Asian societies past and present. Before joining the Sociology team at Portsmouth in 2013, he completed his AHRB funded doctorate on the uses of cultural nationalism by South Asian writers at the University of Birmingham. Naheem has convened and lectured courses in Sociology, English and Cultural Studies. His particular focus is on the state's disciplinary formation of citizenship and the way groups in South Asia and in post-colonial nations respond to this imperative post 9/11. Whether it is the way Indian history-writing makes use of the past to challenge colonial rule, or how groups at the margins of Pakistani society adapt to the global technologies of surveillance, Naheem explores the functional paradox of power and how these affect our modern understanding of tradition, human rights and democracy.  

Research interests

Naheem is currently principal investigator with Usman Ali, along with Professor Barry Smart, Rosa Marvell, Maggie Bowers and Julia Brown - colleagues at Portsmouth - for a faculty-funded project that documents the experience of resettled climate refugees in Pakistan. 'Beyond Adaptation as Androcentric Governmentality: Addressing the Suffering of Climate Refugees in Pakistan' aims to bring a renewed focus the gendered experience when it comes to relief effort by the state or third sector. 

This qualitative focus is about recovering the 'hidden transcript' of practices, gestures and rituals amongst subordinated groups as they come into traumatic contact with new forms of state domination. Naheem's perspective is critical of Development policy in South Asia and opens up new ways of understanding how the utilitarian norms of colonial modernity shape the lives of ordinary people in South Asia.  

Teaching responsibilities

In addition to options for second and third years for the Sociology and Politics and IR undergraduate programmes, 'Challenging Global Inequality' and 'Social Power, Elites and Dissent', I coordinate and deliver 'Theorising Social Life' for the first year cohort and I contribute to 'Observing Society', Developing Your Sociological Imagination', 'Social Inequalities', 'Social Inequalities', 'Religion and Politics in Global Perspective'.  I also contribute to modules for the MSc in Sociology and for another Masters module, 'Concepts and Methodologies for Area Studies'.