The social practice of showering has evolved over time from public bathing to a private routine. Key factors that influenced this change include the Black Death, the Industrial Revolution, and the rise of ideals around personal hygiene and cleanliness in the Victorian era. Now showering has become an ingrained daily habit for many that uses more water and resources than realized. Recommendations to reduce its environmental impact include adopting more efficient showering behaviors and technologies.

1. The social practice of
Showering:
consideration of a habit
ART BY PIERRE AUGUSTE RENOIR “THE LARGE BATHERS”

2. The social practice of
showering
Shove et al. (2003) challenged the idea that sustainable way of life
depends on society and instead proposed that :
resource consumption lies in the inconspicuous
routines and habits.“
“

3. Skills and practical
knowledge
In order for change for a social habit to take place,
analysing the skills and practical knowledge
involved is important. This is to establish how a
practice come into shape to be a social habit.

4. Actors
Materials & Technologies
Shower head
Shampoo, Soap & Body
wash
Water
Electricity
Towel
The actors, material and
technologies involved in the
system of provision must
also be analysed. In the
case of showering, the
actors would be the public
as users, government as
providers of resources and
the commercial agents.

5. from public baths
to private showers:
escalation &
standardising
Have we really taken a step back and look at how
time has changed the way we carry out this practice?
Here is how we have evolved historically
Ancient times
Medieval times Industrial age
BLACK
DEATH
INDUSTRIAL
REVOLUTION

6. Meanings &
Understanding
Understanding the meaning of this social habit
will help with establishing the change it requires.
Personal hygiene and its association with social
acceptance has stamped the importance of
taking a shower. We moved from bathing in
public domains, perhaps while doing laundry, to
a rather private affair in our homes. 2 significant
events happened in Europe that affected this
social practice, the Black Death and Industrial
Revolution.
Thanks to the 2 major historical events, by the
19th century, ideology of cleanliness is a typical
Victorian value like Christianity, respectability
and social progress for the urbanised middle
class.

7. The social
practice of
showering:
cleanliness &
personal
hygiene
We are using water more and more frequently for
personal hygiene. Routine of a few that is
now adopted by many. From taking a bath once a
week, we are now showering twice a day (Shove
2010)
Showering is cheaper than taking a bath.

8. The advent of personal
hygiene
The sociotechnical transition is based on
human needs and societal functions.
Consumer behaviour is enabled, constrained
and contextualised by systems of provisions
Shove et al (2010)
“
“
Jean-Pierre Norblin de La Gourdaine's Bath in the Park

9. The social practice of
showering
THE PINWHEEL:
Practice held by a specific
configuration of ideas about
appearance, convenience
and invigoration. Picture
depicts a locking in of
practice but does not follow
a path dependency
trajectory
(Shove, 2003)

10. New Meaning to Shower
The social
practice of
showering:
new
meanings of
showering

11. The social
practice of
showering:
cleanliness &
personal
hygiene

12. The social practice of
showering:
#1: Hardware (technologies/products)
#2: Skills (practical know-how)
#3: Norms (social expectations/meanings)
#4: Rules (including regulations and systems of provision)

13. The social
practice of
showering:
commodification

14. The social practice of
showering:
commodification

15. The social practice of
showering: commodification

16. The social practice of
showering: commodification

17. The Ultimate Showering
Experience
The bathroom has been considered as one of the important rooms in the
house simple for the fact that it is the most private place where people can
have their private moments to relax, ease themselves and be themselves.
This is how the activity of showering has changed over time.

18. Recommendations
Government Regulation
● One “no shower day” per
month
● Take a “one song shower”
(Play a song while showing and finish
the shower before the song end.)
Society/ Individuals Adoption
● Water usage meter
180 litres water are used in a 10 mins shower
70-115 litres water are used in a 5 mins shower

19. Commercial agents
● Easy wash shower gel & soap
● Water-efficient shower head
(Atomize water into droplets to create 10
times more surface area than regular shower)
(up to 70% water savings)
Recommendations

20. Spiky Shower
Curtains
When people starting
showering, the curtains
starting filling with air,
and it will kick people
out after a set time

21. Conclusion
The social practice of showering has proven
that our inconspicuous habits consume
resource more than we are aware of.

22. References:
Shove, E., 2003. Converging conventions of comfort, cleanliness and convenience. Journal of Consumer policy, 26(4), pp.395-418.
Shove, E. and Walker, G., 2010. Governing transitions in the sustainability of everyday life. Research policy, 39(4), pp.471-476.
Shove, E., 2010. Beyond the ABC: climate change policy and theories of social change. Environment and planning A, 42(6), pp.1273-
1285.
Eveleigh, Bogs (2002). Baths and Basins: The Story of Domestic Sanitation. Stroud, England: Sutton.
The History of Showers - http://www.plumbworld.co.uk/the-history-of-showers
History of showers - http://visual.ly/history-showers
XXL Performance: a truly lavish showering experience http://www.hansgrohe.com.au/1192.htm
How Often People in Various Countries Shower
https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/02/how-often-people-in-various-countries-shower/385470/
Teach Your Child to Bathe Themselves http://www.teachkidshow.com/teach-your-child-to-bathe-themselves/
Nebia https://nebia.com/
Dainius, 2016, Spiky Shower Curtains Kicks You Out After 4 Minutes To Save Water
http://www.boredpanda.com/spiky-shower-curtain-water-conservation-elisabeth-buecher/
How Much Water Is Your Home Wasting? And How Can You Stop It?
http://www.designinfographics.com/other-infographics/how-much-water-is-your-home-wasting-and-how-can-you-stop-it#
Why is the bathroom the most important room in the house?
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-bathroom-most-important-room-house-edward-lewis