Smith ScholarWorks Theses, Dissertations, and Projects 2014 A study of object use : adults, special objects, and contemporary American culture Emily K. Walsh Smith College Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.smith.edu/theses Part of the Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons Recommended Citation Walsh, Emily K., "A study of object use : adults, special objects, and contemporary American culture" (2014). Masters Thesis, Smith College, Northampton, MA. https://scholarworks.smith.edu/theses/823 This Masters Thesis has been accepted for inclusion in Theses, Dissertations, and Projects by an authorized administrator of Smith ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. Emily Walsh A Study of Object Use: Adults, Special Objects, and Contemporary American Culture ABSTRACT This thesis is an inquiry into the meaning and functions that special objects hold for American adults. After interviewing 29 adults—10 who identify as male and 19 who identify as female—about their special objects, I found that these objects are felt to have profound meaning and important functions for adults. Objects are found special for possessing superlative physical characteristics—visual, auditory, olfactory, tactile, energetic, or due to their size, weight, or sturdiness. And they are found special for their functions: as signifiers of affiliation or membership in a group; as things that assert and reify personal identity; as things that connect possessors’ to special people, places, and/or times; as things that connect them to something larger such as the Divine, “infinite consciousness,” or to a new perspective on humanity; as things that stimulate thought; as things that bring comfort and calm; as things that bring protection and/or luck, good energy and/or emotional health.