Laurence Ralph’s groundbreaking ethnographic work on Jordan sneakers has demonstrated the complex relationship between the object, identity and social structure. He explores the role that sneakers play in preserving and constructing the identities of Chicago gang members, generational intricacies in their attitudes towards the shoes and finally, the influence of the object on framing their challenging and transforming social realities. My study expands upon his research and seeks to identify how the agency of a non-human actor, a bench, has the significant implications for understanding the identities and social structure that the students at Lafayette college inhibit and hold.
I would argue that an object, the bench, contributes to the maintenance
I would argue that an object, the bench, contributes to the maintenance