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Subjected to Sanitation: Caste Relations and Sanitation Adoption in Rural Tamil Nadu

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  • Kathleen O’Reilly
  • Richa Dhanju
  • Elizabeth Louis

Abstract

If solving the global sanitation crisis lies within Indian borders, then it is important to understand the influence of caste relations on sanitation building and usage. Our ethnography investigated three villages in rural Tamil Nadu where seven separate sanitation interventions had failed. The analysis indicates caste relations played a key role in the failed interventions by creating and reinforcing the means by which caste groups distinguished themselves from each other at the village scale. Issues of cleaning, access to subsidies, latrine design, and purity served to facilitate and limit the processes that enable the everyday, unequal relationships of caste.

Suggested Citation

  • Kathleen O’Reilly & Richa Dhanju & Elizabeth Louis, 2017. "Subjected to Sanitation: Caste Relations and Sanitation Adoption in Rural Tamil Nadu," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 53(11), pages 1915-1928, November.
  • Handle: RePEc:taf:jdevst:v:53:y:2017:i:11:p:1915-1928
    DOI: 10.1080/00220388.2016.1241385
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    5. Nandita Singh & Per Wickenberg & Karsten Åström & Håkan Hydén, 2008. "Children's Right to Water as a Contested Domain: Gendered reflections from India," Development, Palgrave Macmillan;Society for International Deveopment, vol. 51(1), pages 102-107, March.
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    Cited by:

    1. Revilla, Ma. Laarni D. & Qu, Fangqi & Seetharam, K E & Rao, Bhanoji, 2021. "“Sanitation” in the Top Development Journals: A Review," ADBI Working Papers 1253, Asian Development Bank Institute.
    2. Biljana Macura & Laura Del Duca & Adriana Soto & Naomi Carrard & Louisa Gosling & Karin Hannes & James Thomas & Lewnida Sara & Marni Sommer & Hugh S. Waddington & Sarah Dickin, 2021. "PROTOCOL: What is the impact of complex WASH interventions on gender and social equality outcomes in low‐ and middle‐income countries? A mixed‐method systematic review protocol," Campbell Systematic Reviews, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 17(2), June.

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