Introduction

This book is a response to a growing body of critical literature that has delved into the constituent parts of the state – and one that takes “real governance” seriously. Thus, it proposes dimensions of statehood as an approach that brings to the fore the conflictive interactions of statehood expressions. Namely, as practices and positions seen through the eyes of those living and performing the negotiations over public goods on a daily basis. Dimensions are essentially aspects of statehood; a concept that holds multiple meanings. The book argues that statehood comprises sites (space) that entail contestations (distinction) and narratives (ideologies), which are made up of multiple positions to be empirically investigated. Thus, the book offers a micro study of the practice of public good provision and access in Bukavu, a provincial capital in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The selected public goods, i.e., waste management, piped water (and electricity), and roads, form a central part of the daily life of citizens and authorities in expressing statehood. The richness of empirical, in-depth data can provide important clues to how statehood is practiced on a daily basis.