“Human attachment to inanimate objects”
Our project aims to embody the sentiment of melancholy attached to an object, an object that signifies a memory or a sentiment from our past or even our present life abroad our hometowns. Human connection to material objects and the roots of our consumer society could date back to as far as the prehistoric era, where objects could serve different purposes, as personal identifiers, mediums of communication, signifiers of status, or as tools for hunting, fishing… Objects as well as having a functional purpose, are given especial importance as we attach meaning, and a sentiment to them, these connections are explained by different studies which emphasize the relation between objects and humans as a protective factor, providing comfort as opposed to their natural attachment figures (usually mom’s).
To further understand the origins of these attachments in our society nowadays, it is extremely relevant to research on child development. Several research studies into the field including; Bowlby (1969/1982), Rutter (1985), Harlow and Zimmermann (1959), Passman and Weisberg (1975), ‘Attachment to inanimate objects and early childcare: A twin study’ (Keren Fortuna, Liora Balor, Salomon Israel, Ariel Knafo) provide the psychological explanation for this phenomena.
Transitional objects, a term developed by Winnicott (1953), stand for those objects that child’s treasure and develop a sentimental connection with. A few empirical research have suggested that these connection might not be universal, but more common in Western societies where children are often placed in childcare from an early stage and separated from their maternal figures as opposed to kids in other cultures (e.g., van Ijzendoorn et al., 1983). This would explain the higher rates of attachment to inanimate objects in kids placed in childcare, as they seek this human connection, they develop this bond to adapt to the separation from the mother, the sleeping arrangements and the less amount of physical contact. They aid kids by creating a mother figure projected into an object (which becomes a transitional object) that relieves stress and provides comfort and protection (Rutter , 1985).
The security, and comfort that objects provide in early child development are demonstrated in Passman and Weisberg, 1975 and Passman, 1976, 1977. In this study, it is demonstrated that the presence of this transitional object reduces arousal and stress levels (the kids where placed in a novel play setting). Another study supporting a similar idea about attachment and loss is Bowlby (1969/1982), which conveys that when natural figures that offer support in anxiety situations are unavailable, these special objects calm anxiety from this separation.
‘Attachment to inanimate objects and early childcare: A twin study’ stresses the role of day-care (the environmental characteristic) in kids developing object attachment techniques to reduce the stress of the situation, where a kid spending three hours in daycare as opposed to another spending half a day develops a deeper connection with inanimate objects. The study not only supports the environmental role in this attachment that could explain why humans, especially in western cultures are so connected to inanimate things, but it also considers a genetic perspective. This perspective views object attachment as a phenotypic marker of a genetically driven mechanism, that could possibly be related to stress reactivity and/or regulation.
Most studies agree on the fact that our current strong emotional bond with objects root from our childhood, where we create a dependency on certain things that could act as substitutes of a natural (usually maternal) figure that is not present or momentarily or indefinitely unavailable.
This dependability obviously varies amongst cultures, and is more deeply intricate in the Western societies, or other similar cultures. But one thing becomes crystal clear, is that us humans, have created bonds and will continue to create bonds with inanimate things and objects in a way where we elevate and will continue to elevate their value and sentiment. Therefore, creating a melancholic meaning within seemingly invaluable things, that would provide us with a sense of belonging and even comfort.
