Geographies of shit: Spatial and temporal variations in attitudes towards human waste

Taboos surrounding human waste have resulted in a lack of attention to spatial inequalities in access to sanitation and the consequences of this for human, environmental and economic health. This paper explores spaces where urgent environmental health imperatives intersect with deeply entrenched cul...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Progress in Human Geography 2011-10, Vol.35 (5), p.608-626
Main Author: Jewitt, Sarah
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Access
Attitudes
Behaviour and perception
Bgi / Prodig
Colonialism
Constraints
Cultural differences
Cultural norms
Defecation
Economic conditions
Environmental health
Feces
Field study
Geodemographics
Geography
Health
Human geography
Inequality
Population geography and social geography
Resource Management
Rural areas
Sanitation
Spatial analysis
Taboo
Taboos
Toilet facilities
Waste
Citations: Items that this one cites
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Taboos surrounding human waste have resulted in a lack of attention to spatial inequalities in access to sanitation and the consequences of this for human, environmental and economic health. This paper explores spaces where urgent environmental health imperatives intersect with deeply entrenched cultural norms surrounding human waste and the barriers they create for the development of more appropriate excreta management systems. The primary focus is on the global South (particularly India), although literature on sanitation histories in Europe and its colonies is drawn upon to illustrate spatial and temporal differences in cultural attitudes towards excrement.
ISSN:0309-1325
1477-0288
DOI:10.1177/0309132510394704