@article{10.11648/j.ss.20251405.20,
  author = {Jeremiah Thoronka},
  title = {Sequenced Appropriation: Gendered Cooking Practice and Clean-Cooking Transitions in Urban Kigali
},
  journal = {Social Sciences},
  volume = {14},
  number = {5},
  pages = {569-578},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ss.20251405.20},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ss.20251405.20},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ss.20251405.20},
  abstract = {While electrification and access to liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) are increasing in Kigali, daily meals continue to rely on charcoal and wood. This study investigates why the adoption of new connections and appliance ownership does not necessarily result in appropriation, defined as the enduring and legitimate integration of equipment into valued culinary routines. Employing narrative ethnography in Gasabo, Kicukiro, and Nyarugenge from January to July 2025, we integrated semi-structured interviews, participant observation in over 100 cooking sessions, small focus groups, and transect walks. We analysed job timing, fuel sequencing, metering protocols, artefact custody, and vendor-trust practices that influence regular decision-making. Research reveals "sequenced appropriation": a rapid initiation followed by completion in which high-temperature methods (LPG/electricity) transition to charcoal for enhanced flavour, texture, and reputational security, locally referred to as ibishyimbo zibuka amakara ("beans remember charcoal"). Access to modern heating is governed by gatekeeping mechanisms (prepaid meters, top-up SIM cards, regulator keys) and trust frameworks (visible weighing, seal inspections, regulator-date logs). It is additionally influenced by hospitality risk and seasonal fluctuations in reliability. Prepayment visibility creates a "metered morality" that increases the social cost of mid-cook failures and restricts experimentation with unfamiliar equipment; space compatibility and delicate gadget ecologies further hinder domestication. The investigation elucidates the adoption of charcoal finishes without substitution and delineates gendered legitimacy dynamics that categorise charcoal finishes as "guest-facing" precautions, while designating swift transitions to LPG/electricity. We offer indicators at the appropriation level, detailing who utilises resources, for which tasks, at what times, and under whose authority, alongside ownership counts, to ensure that transitions are auditable at the practical level. The findings inform design and policy alternatives that normalise hybrids, establish vendor transparency, enhance repair routes, and regulate usage (e.g., hosting modes, co-registered SIMs), thereby transitioning high-heat phases away from biomass without compromising sensory legitimacy.
},
 year = {2025}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Sequenced Appropriation: Gendered Cooking Practice and Clean-Cooking Transitions in Urban Kigali

AU  - Jeremiah Thoronka
Y1  - 2025/10/30
PY  - 2025
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ss.20251405.20
DO  - 10.11648/j.ss.20251405.20
T2  - Social Sciences
JF  - Social Sciences
JO  - Social Sciences
SP  - 569
EP  - 578
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2326-988X
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ss.20251405.20
AB  - While electrification and access to liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) are increasing in Kigali, daily meals continue to rely on charcoal and wood. This study investigates why the adoption of new connections and appliance ownership does not necessarily result in appropriation, defined as the enduring and legitimate integration of equipment into valued culinary routines. Employing narrative ethnography in Gasabo, Kicukiro, and Nyarugenge from January to July 2025, we integrated semi-structured interviews, participant observation in over 100 cooking sessions, small focus groups, and transect walks. We analysed job timing, fuel sequencing, metering protocols, artefact custody, and vendor-trust practices that influence regular decision-making. Research reveals "sequenced appropriation": a rapid initiation followed by completion in which high-temperature methods (LPG/electricity) transition to charcoal for enhanced flavour, texture, and reputational security, locally referred to as ibishyimbo zibuka amakara ("beans remember charcoal"). Access to modern heating is governed by gatekeeping mechanisms (prepaid meters, top-up SIM cards, regulator keys) and trust frameworks (visible weighing, seal inspections, regulator-date logs). It is additionally influenced by hospitality risk and seasonal fluctuations in reliability. Prepayment visibility creates a "metered morality" that increases the social cost of mid-cook failures and restricts experimentation with unfamiliar equipment; space compatibility and delicate gadget ecologies further hinder domestication. The investigation elucidates the adoption of charcoal finishes without substitution and delineates gendered legitimacy dynamics that categorise charcoal finishes as "guest-facing" precautions, while designating swift transitions to LPG/electricity. We offer indicators at the appropriation level, detailing who utilises resources, for which tasks, at what times, and under whose authority, alongside ownership counts, to ensure that transitions are auditable at the practical level. The findings inform design and policy alternatives that normalise hybrids, establish vendor transparency, enhance repair routes, and regulate usage (e.g., hosting modes, co-registered SIMs), thereby transitioning high-heat phases away from biomass without compromising sensory legitimacy.

VL  - 14
IS  - 5
ER  - 

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