In the Midst of Things

In the Midst of ThingsExplore the profound impact of everyday urban objects on our behavior and society with 'In the Midst of Things'. This compelling analysis uncovers how ordinary items in public spaces, from the vibrant Brooklyn waterfront's newly built lawn to the unyielding cement walls of New Jersey highways, reflect deep social narratives and inequalities. Mike Owen Benediktsson delves into the hidden assumptions that shape our interactions with these materials,

Explore the profound impact of everyday urban objects on our behavior and society with 'In the Midst of Things'. This compelling analysis uncovers how ordinary items in public spaces, from the vibrant Brooklyn waterfront's newly built lawn to the unyielding cement walls of New Jersey highways, reflect deep social narratives and inequalities. Mike Owen Benediktsson delves into the hidden assumptions that shape our interactions with these materials, revealing their crucial roles in shaping urban life and public consciousness. Through in-depth fieldwork and unique interviews, the book illustrates the interplay between the material world and social dynamics, highlighting how items like metal folding chairs in Queens and subway doors serve as windows into the challenges of urban living. Whether you’re interested in social change, urban planning, or the unrecognized layers of city life, this book offers a transformative perspective. Join Benediktsson as he brings to light the unseen influences that affect our everyday experiences in the bustling urban landscape. Condition: BRAND NEW | Format: Trade binding | Year: 2022 | Publisher: Princeton University Press.

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Condition: BRAND NEW
ISBN: 9780691174334
Format: Trade binding
Year: 2022
Publisher: Princeton University Press


Description:


How ordinary urban objects influence our behavior, exacerbate inequality, and encourage social changeAssumptions about human behavior lie hidden in plain sight all around us, programmed into the design and regulation of the material objects we encounter on a daily basis. In the Midst of Things takes an in-depth look at the social lives of five objects commonly found in the public spaces of New York City and its suburbs, revealing how our interactions with such material things are our primary point of contact with the social, political, and economic forces that shape city life.Drawing on groundbreaking fieldwork and a wealth of original interviews, Mike Owen Benediktsson shows how we are in the midst of things whose profound social role often goes overlooked. A newly built lawn on the Brooklyn waterfront reflects an increasingly common trade-off between the marketplace and the public good. A cement wall on a New Jersey highway speaks to the demise of the postwar American dream. A metal folding chair on a patch of asphalt in Queens exposes the political obstacles to making the city livable. A subway door expresses the simmering conflict between the city and the desires of riders, while a newsstand bears witness to our increasingly impoverished streetscapes.In the Midst of Things demonstrates how the material realm is one of immediacy, control, inequality, and unpredictability, and how these factors frustrate the ability of designers, planners, and regulators to shape human behavior.