TY - JOUR
T1 - The lights are on but no (men) are home. The effect of traditional gender roles on perceptions of energy in Kenya
AU - Fingleton-Smith, Edwina
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2018 Elsevier Ltd
PY - 2018/6
Y1 - 2018/6
N2 - This paper explores how men and women's roles in society are reflected in the way they use and perceive energy in Kenya. Drawing on qualitative data collected from 75 in-depth interviews with energy users around Kenya it suggests that there is a disconnect between the people who benefit from modern energy technologies in a household setting, and the people who purchase them. Gendered roles mean that men do not spend much time in the house; however they often make major purchasing decisions for the household as a result of traditional gender power divisions. The dominant economic position of men leads to a situation in which men do not believe they benefit greatly from modern household energy technologies, but are needed to purchase these very services in order to facilitate increased access to them. For people designing and implementing energy access programs in Kenya and beyond, this represents a significant challenge, and one that is especially pertinent today given the increased popularity of market based models for the dissemination of energy technologies.
AB - This paper explores how men and women's roles in society are reflected in the way they use and perceive energy in Kenya. Drawing on qualitative data collected from 75 in-depth interviews with energy users around Kenya it suggests that there is a disconnect between the people who benefit from modern energy technologies in a household setting, and the people who purchase them. Gendered roles mean that men do not spend much time in the house; however they often make major purchasing decisions for the household as a result of traditional gender power divisions. The dominant economic position of men leads to a situation in which men do not believe they benefit greatly from modern household energy technologies, but are needed to purchase these very services in order to facilitate increased access to them. For people designing and implementing energy access programs in Kenya and beyond, this represents a significant challenge, and one that is especially pertinent today given the increased popularity of market based models for the dissemination of energy technologies.
KW - Energy
KW - Energy program design
KW - Gender dynamics
KW - Kenya
KW - Qualitative research
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85042492373&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.erss.2018.01.006
DO - 10.1016/j.erss.2018.01.006
M3 - Article
SN - 2214-6296
VL - 40
SP - 211
EP - 219
JO - Energy Research and Social Science
JF - Energy Research and Social Science
ER -