The Role of Incidental Objects in ‘Making Things Work’: An Example from Assisted Living Facilities for Young Adults

Kristina Hoydal; Hilde Thygesen

doi:10.16993/sjdr.953

The Role of Incidental Objects in ‘Making Things Work’: An Example from Assisted Living Facilities for Young Adults

Scandinavian Journal of Disability Research

Volume 25 (2023): Issue 1

By: Kristina Hoydal and Hilde Thygesen

Open Access

|Nov 2023

Abstract

This article studies material practices in assisted living facilities (ALF) for young adults, building on empirical data from fieldwork and on analytical resources from the research field of science and technology studies (STS). For the analysis, we made use of the notions of ‘fit’ and ‘misfit’ to zoom in on and illuminate the complexity of service provision at ALFs and of the materialities involved. The article mainly focuses on trivial and easily overlooked objects, which we name ‘incidental objects’, and how these are mobilized in order to ‘make things work’ in the intersection of residents, carers, and their material surroundings in everyday life. Our analysis revealed that incidental objects are key components in the process of handling situations involving misfits, and hence in enabling participation, flexibility, and agility in everyday life. Moreover, it unveiled that the incidental objects have important common characteristics.

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Articles in this issue

DOI: https://doi.org/10.16993/sjdr.953 | Journal eISSN: 1745-3011

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Language: English

Page range: 350 - 362

Submitted on: Jul 13, 2022

Accepted on: Oct 31, 2023

Published on: Nov 22, 2023

Published by: Stockholm University Press

In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services

Keywords:

assisted living facilities

© 2023 Kristina Hoydal, Hilde Thygesen, published by Stockholm University Press
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Volume 25 (2023): Issue 1