Writing and photographing ‘little water’

Author： Golder C. Trowsdale S. Fisher K.

ISSN： 1448-6563

Source： Australasian Journal of Environmental Management, Vol.20, Iss.3, 2013-09, pp. : 242-255

Disclaimer: Any content in publications that violate the sovereignty, the constitution or regulations of the PRC is not accepted or approved by CNPIEC.

Previous Menu Next

Abstract

The ‘average water user’ concept which informs much research into household water use neglects the beliefs, knowledges and rationalities that underpin people's water use and limits management strategies. Photo diaries and participant-led reflexive diaries supported with interviews are used as complementary research methods to critically analyse what Allon describes as ‘little water’ in residential households. The article also considers the use of ethnographic methods to explore everyday practices. Of primary importance are multiple realities that are revealed through this methodological approach about the constitutive effects of water practices in everyday life. The initial findings demonstrate that there are multiple water cultures existing within urban Auckland, contesting mainstream conceptualisations of water user and water cultures. The approach and findings demonstrates potential to transform the ways we know and manage water, and provides a richer, more complex picture of everyday water cultures.