Care goes underground: thinking through relations of care in the maintenance and repair of urban water infrastructures

Abstract

This article extends understanding of the underground city and the workings of the urban backstage through a critical analysis of water infrastructure maintenance and repair. It is based on analysis of ethnographic work undertaken with water maintenance operatives on-site at 11 water infrastructure repair jobs between 2015 and 2016 in Bristol, England. In this article, we argue that water infrastructure maintenance and repair constitutes an important but largely unrecognised form of care work. We extend existing conceptual work by arguing that nonhumans can be vital participants within practices of care.

Who Cares for Agile Work? In/Visibilized Work Practices and Their Emancipatory Potential

“…She explicitly includes care for both humans and non-humans and points out that care in the sense of "taking care" of sociotechnical assemblages "can be found in every context" ( [24], p. 93). Thus, in line with Puig de la Bellacasa and the few studies on care in technology work such as IT security [33], water infrastructure maintenance [34], and scientific data production [35], we argue for the existence and importance of sociotechnical care within technology development.…”

“…In line with these thoughts, the awareness that everyone and everything is doing care work and is simultaneously in need of care carries the potential for emancipation from capitalist valuations such as efficiency, rationality, and productivity. Interrelationships that would usually be conceived of as unequal and asymmetrical (for instance, between those enjoying a hot bath and those, namely, the water maintenance actors, who make sure that water is running [34]) may be substituted for a more symmetrical awareness of co-dependence. Thus, and referring to Haraway, caring may imply the opposition of strong dualisms that "have all been systemic to the logics and practices of domination of women, people of color, nature, workers, animals -in short, domination of all constituted as others" ([72], p. 177).…”

“…Humans who give birth to technologies [73] and technologies that support and protect humans [34] illuminate care practices that exceed a humanist understanding of care. Regarding nonhumans as protective agents that care for humans may lead to a more respectful understanding of prevailing dependencies.…”

“…Regarding nonhumans as protective agents that care for humans may lead to a more respectful understanding of prevailing dependencies. As Buser and Boyer underline, "air quality monitors protected workers' lungs from noxious gases underground and hardhats protected heads" ( [34], p. 84). Thus, paying closer attention to the collaborations between Scrum Boards, Postits, pens, cardboards, computers, desks, Scrum Masters, team members, and cleaners leads us to a different understanding of dependencies, which does not value a particular type of work over others.…”

Avaliação da qualidade da manutenção eletromecânica na Companhia de Saneamento Básico do Estado do Piauí

“…As inovações e tecnologias aplicadas a esse setor, não só de maneira corretiva, mas, principalmente, preventiva, tornou-se um fator decisivo e colabora com a elaboração de modelos estratégicos e tomadas de decisão entre os gestores e colaboradores. Diante dos resultados apresentados por aquelas empresas que fazem esse sistema acontecer de forma eficiente, os serviços de manutenção passaram a ter grande influência e, em muitas situações, são responsáveis pela redução de custos, aumento de lucros, melhorias na operação das máquinas, além de contribuir significativamente com a redução dos impactos ambientais dos projetos e processos (Buser & Boyer, 2021). Um exemplo muito comum refere-se às empresas de saneamento básico, nas quais existem setores específicos de manutenção eletromecânica, que trabalha com instalações e que envolvem componentes mecânicos e elétricos.…”