تأثیر برق: توسعه، خواسته‌ها و معضلات

How does everyday life change when electricity becomes available to a group of people for the first time? Why do some groups tend to embrace this icon of development while other groups actively fight against it? This book examines the effects of electricity’s arrival in an African, rural community. Based on ethnographic fieldwork in Zanzibar at different points in time, the author provides a compelling account of the social implications in question. The rhythm of life changes and life is speeding up. Sexuality and marriage patterns are affected. And a range of social relations, e.g. between generations and genders, as well as relations between human beings and spirits, become modified. Despite men and women’s general appreciation of the new services electricity provides, new dilemmas emerge. By using electricity as a guide through the social landscape, the particularities of social and cultural life in this region emerge. Simultaneously, the book invites readers to understand the ways that electricity affects and becomes implicated in our everyday life. "How does everyday life change when electricity becomes available to a group of people for the first time? Why do some groups tend to embrace this icon of development while other groups actively fight against it? Based on ethnographic fieldwork at different points in time, this book examines the effects of electricity's arrival in a rural community in Zanzibar. The author provides a compelling account of the social implications in question: the rhythm of life speeds up; sexuality and marriage patterns are affected; and a range of social relations, those between generations and genders as well as those between human beings and spirits, become modified. These dynamics highlight the particularities of social life in the region. At the same time, the book invites readers to understand the ways that electricity is implicated in our everyday life."--BOOK JACKET. CONTENTS LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION Chapter 2 POWERS OF THE PAST Chapter 3 THE RURAL ELECTRIFICATION PROJECT (RUREL) Chapter 4 ELECTRIFYING UROA Chapter 5 DISCOURSES OF DEVELOPMENT Chapter 6 THE ELECTRICITY COMPANY IN THE VILLAGE Chapter 7 UROA BY NIGHT Chapter 8 INTRODUCING OBJECTS OF DESIRE Chapter 9 REORGANISING INTERIOR SPACE Chapter 10 NEGOTIATING TASTES IN FOOD Chapter 11 ELECTRICITY MAKES A DIFFERENCE GLOSSARY OF SWAHILI TERMS BIBLIOGRAPHY INDEX