IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/enepol/v58y2013icp295-302.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Paradoxical impacts of electricity on life in a rural South African village

Author

Listed:
  • Matinga, Margaret Njirambo
  • Annegarn, Harold J.

Abstract

Debates on the nexus between energy and development emphasise that access to modern energy carriers such as electricity improve development outcomes. This paper discusses the impacts of electrification on educational outcomes, gender and power relations, income generation, feelings of inclusion and exclusion and health in the village of Tsilitwa in the rural Eastern Cape, South Africa. It is based on an ethnographic grounded theory study conducted in 2009. The paper shows that the impacts of electricity may not match the benefits cited in the literature, and are not experienced in the same way by everyone in the community. The study uncovers the weakness of ignoring individual and group agency, and the complexity of social settings when advocating interventions to improve quality of life. The paper recommends that researchers and policymakers consider using ethnographic methods to complement other methods and reveal context and its implications on the energy–development nexus that other methods may not capture.

Suggested Citation

  • Matinga, Margaret Njirambo & Annegarn, Harold J., 2013. "Paradoxical impacts of electricity on life in a rural South African village," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 295-302.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:enepol:v:58:y:2013:i:c:p:295-302
    DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2013.03.016
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301421513001705
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.enpol.2013.03.016?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Gunther Bensch & Jochen Kluve & Jörg Peters, 2011. "Impacts of rural electrification in Rwanda," Journal of Development Effectiveness, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 3(4), pages 567-588, December.
    2. Peters, Jörg & Vance, Colin & Harsdorff, Marek, 2011. "Grid Extension in Rural Benin: Micro-Manufacturers and the Electrification Trap," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 39(5), pages 773-783, May.
    3. Bensch, Gunther & Peters, Jörg & Schmidt, Christoph M., 2012. "Impact evaluation of productive use—An implementation guideline for electrification projects," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 186-195.
    4. Taryn Dinkelman, 2011. "The Effects of Rural Electrification on Employment: New Evidence from South Africa," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 101(7), pages 3078-3108, December.
    5. Alberto Chong & Eliana La Ferrara, 2009. "Television and Divorce: Evidence from Brazilian Novelas," Journal of the European Economic Association, MIT Press, vol. 7(2-3), pages 458-468, 04-05.
    6. Robert Jensen & Emily Oster, 2009. "The Power of TV: Cable Television and Women's Status in India," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 124(3), pages 1057-1094.
    7. Benjamin A. Olken, 2009. "Do Television and Radio Destroy Social Capital? Evidence from Indonesian Villages," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 1(4), pages 1-33, October.
    8. Eliana La Ferrara & Alberto Chong & Suzanne Duryea, 2012. "Soap Operas and Fertility: Evidence from Brazil," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 4(4), pages 1-31, October.
    9. Alberto Chong & Eliana La Ferrara, 2009. "Television and Divorce: Evidence from Brazilian Novelas," Journal of the European Economic Association, MIT Press, vol. 7(2-3), pages 458-468, 04-05.
    10. Peters, Jörg, 2009. "Evaluating Rural Electrification Projects - Methodological Approaches," Ruhr Economic Papers 136, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen.
    11. Eliana La Ferrara & Alberto Chong & Suzanne Duryea, 2012. "Soap Operas and Fertility: Evidence from Brazil," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 4(4), pages 1-31, October.
    12. Daka, Karen Rajaona & Ballet, Jérôme, 2011. "Children's education and home electrification: A case study in northwestern Madagascar," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(5), pages 2866-2874, May.
    13. Gustavsson, Mathias, 2007. "Educational benefits from solar technology--Access to solar electric services and changes in children's study routines, experiences from eastern province Zambia," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 35(2), pages 1292-1299, February.
    14. Khandker, Shahidur R. & Barnes, Douglas F. & Samad, Hussain A., 2009. "Welfare impacts of rural electrification : a case study from Bangladesh," Policy Research Working Paper Series 4859, The World Bank.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Karumba, Mary Muthoni & Muchapondwa, Edwin, 2017. "The Impact of Micro Hydroelectricity on Household Welfare Indicators," EfD Discussion Paper 17-20, Environment for Development, University of Gothenburg.
    2. Kaoma, Humphrey & Shackleton, Charlie M., 2015. "The direct-use value of urban tree non-timber forest products to household income in poorer suburbs in South African towns," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 104-112.
    3. Hirmer, Stephanie & Cruickshank, Heather, 2014. "The user-value of rural electrification: An analysis and adoption of existing models and theories," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 34(C), pages 145-154.
    4. Tim Cholibois, 2020. "Electrifying the ‘eighth continent’: exploring the role of climate finance and its impact on energy justice and equality in Madagascar’s planned energy transition," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 161(2), pages 345-364, July.
    5. Zhang, Tong & Shi, Xunpeng & Zhang, Dayong & Xiao, Junji, 2019. "Socio-economic development and electricity access in developing economies: A long-run model averaging approach," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 132(C), pages 223-231.
    6. Jon Phillips & Saska Petrova, 2021. "The materiality of precarity: Gender, race and energy infrastructure in urban South Africa," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 53(5), pages 1031-1050, August.
    7. Matinga, Margaret N. & Pinedo-Pascua, Irene & Vervaeke, Jonathan & Monforti-Ferrario, Fabio & Szabó, Sándor, 2014. "Do African and European energy stakeholders agree on key energy drivers in Africa? Using Q methodology to understand perceptions on energy access debates," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 154-164.
    8. Elias Hartvigsson & Erik Oscar Ahlgren & Sverker Molander, 2020. "Tackling complexity and problem formulation in rural electrification through conceptual modelling in system dynamics," Systems Research and Behavioral Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 37(1), pages 141-153, January.
    9. Kasnaeny Karim & Muhammad Jibril Tajibu & Akhmad Akhmad, 2021. "Determination of Consumer Switching Barriers to Use Prepaid Electricity Systems in the Household Sector in Makassar, Indonesia," International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, Econjournals, vol. 11(1), pages 193-199.
    10. Pradhan Shrestha, Rosy & Jirakiattikul, Sopin & Lohani, Sunil Prasad & Shrestha, Mandip, 2023. "Perceived impact of electricity on productive end use and its reality: Transition from electricity to income for rural Nepalese women," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 183(C).
    11. Kirchhoff, Hannes & Strunz, Kai, 2019. "Key drivers for successful development of peer-to-peer microgrids for swarm electrification," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 244(C), pages 46-62.
    12. Bruno Emmanuel Ongo Nkoa & Jacques Simon Song & Marie Laure Onguene Belomo, 2022. "Does ICT diffusion contribute to women's political empowerment in Africa?," African Development Review, African Development Bank, vol. 34(3), pages 339-355, September.
    13. Mohammad Jahangir Alam & Shinji Kaneko, 2019. "The Effects of Electrification on School Enrollment in Bangladesh: Short- and Long-Run Perspectives," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-26, February.
    14. Antonella Mazzone, 2022. "Gender and Energy in International Development: Is There a Return of the ‘Feminization’ of Poverty Discourse?," Development, Palgrave Macmillan;Society for International Deveopment, vol. 65(1), pages 17-28, March.
    15. Onu, Uchenna Godswill & Zambroni de Souza, Antonio Carlos & Bonatto, Benedito Donizeti, 2023. "Drivers of microgrid projects in developed and developing economies," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 80(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Kohlin, Gunnar & Sills, Erin O. & Pattanayak, Subhrendu K. & Wilfong, Christopher, 2011. "Energy, gender and development: what are the linkages ? where is the evidence ?," Policy Research Working Paper Series 5800, The World Bank.
    2. Ruben Durante & Paolo Pinotti & Andrea Tesei, 2013. "Voting Alone? The Political and Cultural Consequences of Commercial TV," SciencePo Working papers hal-03460816, HAL.
    3. Esther Hauk & Giovanni Immordino, 2014. "Parents, Television and Cultural Change," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 124(579), pages 1040-1065, September.
    4. repec:hal:spmain:info:hdl:2441/7o52iohb7k6srk09n8t4pad92 is not listed on IDEAS
    5. repec:hal:wpspec:info:hdl:2441/7o52iohb7k6srk09n8t4pad92 is not listed on IDEAS
    6. Keefer, Philip & Khemani, Stuti, 2014. "Mass media and public education: The effects of access to community radio in Benin," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 109(C), pages 57-72.
    7. Peters, Jörg & Sievert, Maximiliane & Lenz, Luciane & Munyehirwe, Anicet, 2015. "Impact evaluation of Netherlands supported programmes in the area of energy and development cooperation in Rwanda: The provision of grid electricity to households through the Electricity Access Roll-o," RWI Materialien 96, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung.
    8. repec:spo:wpecon:info:hdl:2441/7o52iohb7k6srk09n8t4pad92 is not listed on IDEAS
    9. repec:spo:wpmain:info:hdl:2441/7o52iohb7k6srk09n8t4pad92 is not listed on IDEAS
    10. Fujii, Tomoki & Shonchoy, Abu S. & Xu, Sijia, 2018. "Impact of Electrification on Children’s Nutritional Status in Rural Bangladesh," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 102(C), pages 315-330.
    11. Bensch, Gunther & Peters, Jörg & Sievert, Maximiliane, 2012. "Fear of the Dark? – How Access to Electric Lighting Affects Security Attitudes and Nighttime Activities in Rural Senegal," Ruhr Economic Papers 369, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen.
    12. Ruben Durante & Paolo Pinotti & Andrea Tesei, 2014. "No News, Big News. The political consequences of entertainment TV," Working Papers 063, "Carlo F. Dondena" Centre for Research on Social Dynamics (DONDENA), Università Commerciale Luigi Bocconi.
    13. Lucas Adrienne M. & Wilson Nicholas L., 2019. "Does Television Kill Your Sex Life? Microeconometric Evidence from 80 Countries," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 19(4), pages 1-16, October.
    14. Chen, Daniel L. & Yeh, Susan, 2016. "How Do Rights Revolutions Occur? Free Speech and the First Amendment," TSE Working Papers 16-705, Toulouse School of Economics (TSE).
    15. Anja Tolonen, 2019. "Endogenous Gender Roles: Evidence from Africa’s Gold Mining Industry," OxCarre Working Papers 209, Oxford Centre for the Analysis of Resource Rich Economies, University of Oxford.
    16. Hennighausen, Tanja, 2015. "Exposure to television and individual beliefs: Evidence from a natural experiment," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 43(4), pages 956-980.
    17. repec:zbw:rwirep:0369 is not listed on IDEAS
    18. Ghada Barsoum & Bruno Crépon & Drew Gardiner & Bastien Michel & William Parienté, 2022. "Evaluating the Impact of Entrepreneurship Edutainment in Egypt: An Experimental Approach," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 89(353), pages 82-109, January.
    19. Alex Armand & Paul Atwell & Joseph F. Gomes & Yannik Schenk, 2023. "It’s a Bird, it’s a Plane, it’s Superman! Using Mass Media to fight Intolerance," LIDAM Discussion Papers IRES 2023012, Université catholique de Louvain, Institut de Recherches Economiques et Sociales (IRES).
    20. Chadi, Adrian & Hoffmann, Manuel, 2021. "Television, Health, and Happiness: A Natural Experiment in West Germany," IZA Discussion Papers 14721, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    21. Irani Arráiz & Carla Calero, 2015. "From Candles to Light: The Impact of Rural Electrification," IDB Publications (Working Papers) 89136, Inter-American Development Bank.
    22. Strömberg, David & Prat, Andrea, 2011. "The Political Economy of Mass Media," CEPR Discussion Papers 8246, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    23. Ximena Pena & Juan Camilo Cárdenas & Hugo Ñopo & Jorge Luis Castañeda, 2013. "Mujer y movilidad social," Documentos CEDE 10498, Universidad de los Andes, Facultad de Economía, CEDE.
    24. Gunther Bensch & Jörg Peters & Maximiliane Sievert, 2012. "Fear of the Dark? – How Access to Electric Lighting Affects Security Attitudes and Nighttime Activities in Rural Senegal," Ruhr Economic Papers 0369, Rheinisch-Westfälisches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Universität Dortmund, Universität Duisburg-Essen.
    25. Arráiz, Irani & Calero, Carla, 2015. "From Candles to Light: The Impact of Rural Electrification," IDB Publications (Working Papers) 6917, Inter-American Development Bank.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:enepol:v:58:y:2013:i:c:p:295-302. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/enpol .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.