Solar streetlights in post-earthquake Nepal: Place, identity and gender in a displaced village

There is growing recognition of the benefits of providing displaced communities with accessible lighting systems, such as public streetlights. However, little anthropological research has been done on the impacts of lighting in displaced communities. In this article, I explore perceptions of the impacts of seven public solar streetlights on a displaced community’s sense of place attachment, identity, and gender relations in rural post-earthquake Nepal. There is demonstrable evidence that streetlights enhance safety and security. Less studied themes include the psychological impacts related to fear, social identity, sense of personal freedom, and place attachment. I argue that streetlight installation increases place attachment and facilitates the forming of new relationships with the socially constructed environment. I describe how respondents discuss the impact of streetlights on the daily rhythm of domestic chores and personal activities, and on their cultural beliefs and practices. The introduction of stre