{
  "abstract": "As non-sewered sanitation (NSS) is being designed, developed, tested and rolled out, there is widespread support for the integration of social science. Yet what, precisely, social science can and should do remains much less clear. This paper explains the specific approach of social assessments, a process for analysing the context in which NSS exists, and how this context might impact NSS. Social assessments can be more resource intensive than more narrow approaches, making it important to understand its contributions and why it might contribute to NSS. Here, we draw on data from six different social assessment processes on NSS in eThekwini Municipal Area, showing how the questions, methodology and contributions changed. What has resulted from our learnings is not a set process, but ongoing experimentation with and adoption of diverse methods that respond to the particular goals of research teams in specific sites. We explain five potential contributions of social assessment: a) it can improve technologies; b) it can enable users to better understand technologies and interventions, enabling a deeper form of participation; c) broadens the framing of what matters for NSS, showing the relevance and potential changes of factors such as governance arrangements, gender dynamics, and resource costs; d) it offers specialist analysis of technologies’ relationship with the wider context; and e) it impacts relationships, potentially shifting power and building trust. We conclude by urging more explicit attention to the diverse ways of undertaking social science how it can contribute to NSS.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "School of Agriculture and Environmental Science, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa",
    "WASH R&D Centre, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa",
    "Independent Scholar, Cape Town, South Africa",
    "Independent Scholar, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa",
    "School of Social Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa",
    "Geography and the Lived Environment, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom"
  ],
  "article_type": "Research Article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 9,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Catherine Sutherland"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Anthony Odili"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Msimelelo Gqaleni"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3
      ],
      "name": "Sibongile Buthelezi"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        4
      ],
      "name": "Duduzile Khumalo"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        5
      ],
      "name": "Fanelesibonge Magwaza"
    },
    {
      "name": "Bahle Mazeka"
    },
    {
      "name": "Lindani Mtshali"
    },
    {
      "name": "Mary Lawhon"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/7bqqwgz5fpn4c.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1371/journal.pwat.0000527",
  "fulltext_url": "https://journals.plos.org/water/article?id=10.1371/journal.pwat.0000527",
  "id": "7bqqwgz5fpn4c",
  "issns": [
    "2767-3219"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://journals.plos.org/water/article?id=10.1371/journal.pwat.0000527",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "journal",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "2311|Wastewater Treatment and Reuse"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Anatomy/Body fluids/Urine"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Neuroscience/Cognitive science/Cognitive psychology/Perception/Sensory perception/Smell"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Neuroscience/Sensory perception/Smell"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Physiology/Body fluids/Urine"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Psychology/Cognitive psychology/Perception/Sensory perception/Smell"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Ecology and environmental sciences/Natural resources/Water resources"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Engineering and technology/Technology development/Prototypes"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Medicine and health sciences/Anatomy/Body fluids/Urine"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Medicine and health sciences/Health care/Environmental health/Sanitation"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Medicine and health sciences/Public and occupational health/Environmental health/Sanitation"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/People and places/Population groupings/Professions/Scientists"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Research and analysis methods/Research design/Survey research/Surveys"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Science policy/Science and technology workforce/Careers in research/Scientists"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Social sciences"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Social sciences/Psychology/Cognitive psychology/Perception/Sensory perception/Smell"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7221761058",
  "pdf_url": "https://journals.plos.org/water/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pwat.0000527&type=printable",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-14",
  "publisher": "Public Library of Science",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/7bqqwgz5fpn4c.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:17:23Z",
      "native_id": "10.1371/journal.pwat.0000527",
      "source": "plos",
      "url": "https://journals.plos.org/water/article?id=10.1371/journal.pwat.0000527"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biology",
      "origin": "plos:neuroscience",
      "subfield": "neuroscience"
    },
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "plos:anatomy",
      "subfield": "physiology"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Learning from social assessments of innovative non-sewered sanitation in eThekwini",
  "title_text": "Learning from social assessments of innovative non-sewered sanitation in eThekwini",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:17:23Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/7bqqwgz5fpn4c",
  "venue": "PLOS Water",
  "versions": []
}