Conceptualizing Biopolitics: Citizen-State Interactions in the Securing of Water Services in South Africa
Open accessAbstract
Despite constitutional obligations to provide clean water to all citizens in South Africa, access to water and related services remains highly contested. The discord between constitutional promises and lived realities of water access, particularly through national infrastructure, provides a platform on which to examine Foucauldian notions of biopolitics, the control of populations through technologies of governing. Drawing on the situations of residents in the rural Vhembe district in the north eastern corner of the country, I examine how individuals conceptualize the relationship that exists between citizen and state and the responsibilities of each in post-Apartheid South Africa as it relates to water access. In addition, I describe strategies employed throughout South Africa to voice rights to water and how these approaches are perceived. Finally, I consider how the three primary forms of 'water citizenship'-citizen, agent, and subject-influence the current and future health of vulnerable residents.
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
Through the Bantu Homelands Citizenship Act No. 26 of 1970, black individuals were mandated to become citizens of their respective Bantustans, thereby forfeiting their South African citizenship.
“Through the Bantu Homelands Citizenship Act No. 26 of 1970, black individuals were mandated to become citizens of their respective Bantustans, thereby forfeiting their South African citizenship (Bulled 2015: 543; Hobden 2018: 2).”
From Exclusion and invented water scarcity: a historical perspective from colonialism to apartheid in South Africa (2024) · cites this paper as Bulled 2015: 543
Self-check
Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.
The self-check needs the paper’s full text.
Cites
Seeing like a State: How Certain Schemes to Improve the Human Condition Have Failed
Fukuyama, F., & Scott, J. C. (1998) · Foreign Affairs · doi:10.2307/20048980 · Cited by 8,418 · see citing works
Citizen and Subject: Contemporary Africa and the Legacy of Late Colonialism.
Tignor, R. L., & Mamdani, M. (1997) · The American Historical Review · doi:10.2307/2171188 · Cited by 3,317 · see citing works
The Politics of Life Itself: Biomedicine, Power, and Subjectivity in the Twenty-First Century
Rose, N. (2007) · doi:10.1515/9781400827503 · Cited by 3,294 · see citing works
Seeing like a State: How Certain Schemes to Improve the Human Condition Have Failed
McCann, J. C., & Scott, J. C. (1998) · The International Journal of African Historical Studies · doi:10.2307/220888 · Cited by 2,410 · see citing works
(2006) · Project Muse (Johns Hopkins University) · Cited by 2,029 · see citing works
Citizen and Subject: Contemporary Africa and the Legacy of Late Colonialism
Gerhart, G. M., & Mamdani, M. (1997) · Foreign Affairs · doi:10.2307/20048019 · Cited by 2,018 · see citing works
(2013) · Routledge eBooks · doi:10.4324/9781315072500 · Cited by 1,008 · see citing works
Oliver, F. R. (1974) · Social Policy and Administration · doi:10.1111/j.1467-9515.1974.tb00722.x · Cited by 872 · see citing works
The General Household Survey 1974
Hope, K., & O., H. M. S. (1978) · British Journal of Sociology · doi:10.2307/589665 · Cited by 670 · see citing works
Multi-country analysis of the effects of diarrhoea on childhood stunting
Checkley, W., Buckley, G., Gilman, R. H., Assis, A. M., Guerrant, R. L., Morris, S. S., Mølbak, K., Valentiner-Branth, P., Lanata, C. F., Black, R. E., et al. (2008) · International Journal of Epidemiology · doi:10.1093/ije/dyn099 · Cited by 653 · see citing works
Pressure: the politechnics of water supply in Mumbai.
Anand, N. (2011) · Cultural Anthropology · doi:10.1111/j.1548-1360.2011.01111.x · Cited by 588 · see citing works
Gleick, P. H. (1998) · Water Policy · doi:10.1016/s1366-7017(99)00008-2 · Cited by 500 · see citing works
Enteric infections, diarrhea, and their impact on function and development
Petri, W. A., Miller, M. A., Binder, H. J., Levine, M. M., Dillingham, R., & Guerrant, R. L. (2008) · Journal of Clinical Investigation · doi:10.1172/jci34005 · Cited by 484 · see citing works
Guerrant, D. I., Moore, S. R., Lima, A. Â. M., Patrick, P. D., Schorling, J. B., & Guerrant, R. L. (1999) · American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene · doi:10.4269/ajtmh.1999.61.707 · Cited by 470 · see citing works
Citizenship Prepaid: Water, Calculability, and Techno-Politics in South Africa*
von Schnitzler, A. (2008) · Journal of Southern African Studies · doi:10.1080/03057070802456821 · Cited by 388 · see citing works
von Schnitzler, A. (2013) · Cultural Anthropology · doi:10.1111/cuan.12032 · Cited by 356 · see citing works
Niehaus, M. D., Moore, S. R., Patrick, P. D., Derr, L. L., Lorntz, B., Lima, A. Â. M., & Guerrant, R. L. (2002) · American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene · doi:10.4269/ajtmh.2002.66.590 · Cited by 322 · see citing works
(2014) · African Studies Companion Online · doi:10.1163/1872-9037_afco_asc_768 · Cited by 301 · see citing works
Oomen, B. M. (2005) · Palgrave Macmillan US eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-1-137-06460-8 · Cited by 205 · see citing works
Rose, N., & Novas, C. (2007) · doi:10.1002/9780470696569.ch23 · Cited by 198 · see citing works
From Revolution to Rights in South Africa
Robins, S. (2008) · Boydell and Brewer eBooks · doi:10.1515/9781846156403 · Cited by 175 · see citing works
Incorporation of copper nanoparticles into paper for point-of-use water purification
Dankovich, T. A., & Smith, J. A. (2014) · Water Research · doi:10.1016/j.watres.2014.06.022 · Cited by 167 · see citing works
Heath, D., Rapp, R., & Taussig, K. (2007) · doi:10.1002/9780470693681.ch10 · Cited by 165 · see citing works
Early childhood diarrhoea and helminthiases associate with long-term linear growth faltering
Moore, S. R., Lima, A., Conaway, M., Schorling, J. B., Soares, A. M., & Guerrant, R. L. (2001) · International Journal of Epidemiology · doi:10.1093/ije/30.6.1457 · Cited by 163 · see citing works
Early Childhood Diarrhea Predicts Impaired School Performance
Lorntz, B., Soares, A. M., Moore, S. R., Pinkerton, R., Gansneder, B. M., Bovbjerg, V. E., Guyatt, H. L., Lima, A. Â. M., & Guerrant, R. L. (2006) · The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal · doi:10.1097/01.inf.0000219524.64448.90 · Cited by 156 · see citing works
Chiefs in South Africa: Law, Power and Culture in the Post-Apartheid Era
Oomen, B. M. (2005) · Medical Entomology and Zoology · Cited by 137 · see citing works
Searching for equity: conceptions of justice and equity in peasant irrigation.
Boelens, R., & Davila, G. (1998) · Socio-Environmental Systems Modeling · Cited by 133 · see citing works
The Village Headman in British Central Africa
Gluckman, M. (1949) · Africa · doi:10.2307/1156514 · Cited by 132 · see citing works
Postcolonial Subjectivities in Africa
Kelsall, T., & WERBNER, R. P. (2002) · Africa · doi:10.2307/3556705 · Cited by 123 · see citing works
AIDS, Politics, and Music in South Africa
McNeill, F. G. (2011) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/cbo9780511842580 · Cited by 109 · see citing works
Ngwane, Z. (2001) · Journal of Religion in Africa · doi:10.1163/157006601x00257 · Cited by 78 · see citing works
Water policy in South Africa: trust and knowledge as obstacles to reform
Goldin, J. A. (2010) · Review of Radical Political Economics · doi:10.1177/0486613410368496 · Cited by 65 · see citing works
Water, Human Rights and Social Conflict: South African Experiences
Bond, P., & Dugard, J. (2008) · Cited by 64 · see citing works
Modeling the sustainability of a ceramic water filter intervention
Mellor, J., Abebe, L., Ehdaie, B., Dillingham, R., & Smith, J. A. (2013) · Water Research · doi:10.1016/j.watres.2013.11.035 · Cited by 59 · see citing works
Wagner, J. R. (2013) · Berghahn Books · doi:10.3167/9780857459664 · Cited by 43 · see citing works
Bessong, P. O., Nyathi, E., Mahopo, T. C., & Netshandama, V. (2014) · Clinical Infectious Diseases · doi:10.1093/cid/ciu418 · Cited by 41 · see citing works
Tratamentos jurídicos: os mercados terapêuticos e a judicialização do direito à saúde
Biehl, J. G., & Petryna, A. (2016) · História Ciências Saúde-Manguinhos · doi:10.1590/s0104-59702016000100011 · Cited by 41 · see citing works
An Apartheid Oasis?: Agriculture and Rural Livelihoods in Venda
Lahiff, E. (2000) · Cited by 40 · see citing works
A Precious Liquid: Drinking Water and Culture in the Valley of Mexico
Ennis‐McMillan, M. C. (2005) · Medical Entomology and Zoology · Cited by 37 · see citing works
Bulled, N. L., Singer, M. C., & Dillingham, R. (2014) · Global Public Health · doi:10.1080/17441692.2014.924022 · Cited by 36 · see citing works
Self-citationLaw, Social Justice and Global Development
Stewart, A. B. (2007) · Cited by 31 · see citing works
Chiefship in a South African homeland
Comaroff, J. (1974) · Journal of Southern African Studies · doi:10.1080/03057077408707922 · Cited by 30 · see citing works
Mehta, L. (2006) · OpenDocs (Institute of Development Studies) · Cited by 21 · see citing works
R ights , R egulation and R esistance : T he P hiri W ater C ampaign
Dugard, J. (2008) · South African Journal on Human Rights · doi:10.1080/19962126.2008.11864972 · Cited by 21 · see citing works
Ndiritu, J. G., Odiyo, J. O., Makungo, R., et al. (2011) · Hydrological Sciences Journal · doi:10.1080/02626667.2011.555766 · Cited by 20 · see citing works
The Public Trust Doctrine and Liability for Historic Water Pollution in South Africa
Feris, L. (2012) · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Cited by 18 · see citing works
Biehl, J. G., & Petryna, A. (2013) · Princeton University Press eBooks · doi:10.1515/9781400846801-016 · Cited by 18 · see citing works
Dancing to two tunes? Rights and market-based approaches in South Africa's water domain
Mehta, L., & Ntshona, Z. (2004) · Cited by 17 · see citing works
Mehta, L. (2005) · OpenDocs (Institute of Development Studies) · Cited by 14 · see citing works
Fairness and the Human Right to Water:
Wutich, A., Brewis, A., Sigurdsson, S., et al. (2013) · Berghahn Books · doi:10.2307/j.ctt9qd1nk.20 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
Boelens, R. (1998) · Socio-Environmental Systems Modeling · Cited by 6 · see citing works
Fairness and the human right to water: A preliminary cross-cultural theory
Wutich, A., Slade, A., Sigurdsson, S., et al. (2013) · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Flagged first, then by citations
Research works printed but not linked: 6
- Barry A Osborne T Rose N Foucault and Practical Reason: Liberalism, Neo-liberalism and Rationalities of Government 1996 University College London Press London
- Biehl J Petryna A Biehl J Petryna A Legal remedies: Therapeutic markets and the judicialization of the right to health. In When People Come First: Critical Studies in Global Health 2013 325 346 Princeton University Press Princeton, NJ
- Dugard J Rights, regulation and resistance: The Phiri water rights campaign. South African Journal on Human Rights 2009 24 3 593 611
- Koelble T Limpuma E Robins S Traditional leaders and democracy: Cultural politics in the age of globalisation. Limits to Liberation after Apartheid: Citizenship, government and culture 2005 James Currey Oxford, UK
- Rose N Novas C Ong A Collier S Biological Citizenship. In Global Anthropology 2003 Blackwell Oxford, UK
- Tau P Dam the rich 2014 City Press Accessed online form: http://www.citypress.co.za/news/dam-rich/
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Kaziboni, A. (2024) · Water History · doi:10.1007/s12685-024-00339-4 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
- Authors
- Bulled, N.
- Affiliations
- University of Virginia (US)
- Corresponding author
- Bulled, Nicola
- ORCID
- Bulled, Nicola
- Venue
- Medical Anthropology
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2015-06-18
- Volume
- 34
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 533-550
- ISSN
- 0145-9740 (ISSN-L)
- 1545-5882
- PMC
- PMC4640942
- OpenAlex
- W2106321982
- Cited by
- 12
- References
- 52
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 1 · 2019: 1 · 2016: 1 · 2015: 1
- FWCI
- 4.32
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- Medical Anthropology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- Fogarty International Center (D43TW009359)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Political Science and International Relations › Water Governance and Infrastructure
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Water Science and Technology › Water Resource Management and Quality
- Social Sciences › Law › Legal Issues in South Africa
- Keywords
- biopolitics, water access, water services, state-citizen relations, Michel Foucault, post-apartheid South Africa, Vhembe District, rural water supply, water rights, vulnerable populations, constitutional obligations
- MeSH terms
- Developing Countries, Female, Humans, Human Rights, Politics, South Africa, Water Supply, Anthropology, Medical
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
