Children of a Lesser God: Administrative Burden and Social Equity in Citizen–State Interactions

An important research agenda in public administration is to investigate how formal and realized public policy influences the lives of marginalized social groups. Recently, reinvigorated research on administrative burden can make useful contributions to this line of inquiry. Using ethnographic research methods, this article analyzes administrative burden experienced by the Khawaja Sira—individuals culturally defined as neither men nor women—of Pakistan in getting a legal ID. In doing so, this article contributes to a better understanding of the role played by third parties, administrative behavior and social factors play in influencing the level of administrative burden and social inequity for genderqueer groups.