Abstract

This paper evaluates the neo-institutional perspective in conceptualizing the public-private partnership in water provision in England and Wales. It questions the simplistic assumptions that effective water governance lies in getting institutions, incentives, and authority right. Drawing upon Mary Douglas's social embeddedness of institutions, this paper demonstrates that use of water is both individually-pursued and socially-shaped. This paper calls for a reorganization of the institutional arrangements to tackle power asymmetries between the regulators, water companies, and the public. It suggests that the design of the regulatory structures needs to cohere with the cultural meaning of water.

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2009
The Pennsylvania State University