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The Cookstove–Rape Prevention Myth and the Limits of Techno-saviorism

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Sustainable Access to Energy in the Global South

Abstract

The field of humanitarian technology is rife with techno-saviorism—the promotion of technology as a panacea and not simply a technique of intervention. Humanitarian technology advocates, designers, and promoters uphold technological objects and interventions as having an incredible agency to solve complex social and environmental problems. A prevalent example is the promotion of improved cookstoves to address a number of complex global problems such as the negative health impacts of cooking, climate change, deforestation, and sexual violence in conflict zones. In this paper, I outline research that critiques the “stoves reduce rape” rhetoric, and discuss techno-saviorism in terms of improved cookstove myths, consequences, and gender inequalities. I conclude with reflections from discussions with scientists and humanitarian practitioners who design, test, market, deliver, and advocate for improved cookstoves.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    For an expanded presentation of the case study and analysis see Abdelnour and Saeed (2014).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

    Samer Abdelnour

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  1. Samer Abdelnour
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Correspondence to Samer Abdelnour .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Cooperation & Development Center (CODEV), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland

    Silvia Hostettler

  2. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA

    Ashok Gadgil

  3. Cooperation & Development Center (CODEV), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland

    Eileen Hazboun

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Abdelnour, S. (2015). The Cookstove–Rape Prevention Myth and the Limits of Techno-saviorism. In: Hostettler, S., Gadgil, A., Hazboun, E. (eds) Sustainable Access to Energy in the Global South. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-20209-9_18

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-20209-9_18

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-20208-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-20209-9

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