Understanding the Mechanisms of Peer Influence: An Analysis of Rural Indian Households’ Decisions to Construct In-Home Latrines

Social entrepreneurs, product developers, and engineers have created many cost-effective innovations that are designed to improve the lives of the poor in developing countries. However, the inability to persuade consumers to use these products often reduces the impact of these products and services. In India, several innovations have adapted the functionality of a Western toilet (i.e. isolating and removing human waste) to fit the social norms, household budgets, and lack of sewage infrastructure in rural areas. Yet, in 2011, 69.7% of households in rural areas did not have access to a latrine facility. My dissertation asks – how does social influence affect the (non)-adoption of technologies in developing countries? In order to understand the mechanisms of social influence within relationships, I will conduct in-depth interviews with rural residents in Tamil Nadu, India regarding their social interactions and consumption decisions (including the decision to install an in-home latrine).