The role of incidental objects in making things work: an example from assisted living facilities for young adults

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.