
The Care of Things
Ethics and Politics of Maintenance
Polity Press
1st Edition
Published on 7. February 2025
Book
Hardback
304 pages
978-1-5095-6238-1 (ISBN)
Description
What does a coffee machine, a car, road signs, a smartphone, a cathedral, a work of art, a satellite, a bicycle, a washing machine, a bridge, a watch, a computer, the body of a prominent politician and a tractor have in common? Pretty much nothing - except for the fact that, no matter how small, large, important or insignificant something is, it rarely survives without being cared for. Every object eventually experiences wear and tear, it deteriorates, stops working or breaks down. But are we giving the care of things the recognition it deserves? A counterpoint to our modern obsession with innovation but less striking than the one-off act of restoration, the delicate act of making things last rarely attracts our attention.
This book disrupts our dominant narratives by putting those individuals skilled in the art of maintenance front and centre. Jerome Denis and David Pontille shine a spotlight on the subtle aspects of caring for things, tracing the stories of those involved and, with them, the ethical challenges raised and political lessons learned. These people demonstrate a sensitivity and attentiveness to fragility; they encourage us to cultivate a material diplomacy in which wear is accepted and our relation to things becomes a matter of negotiation and compromise - a far cry from the frenetic rhythm of planned obsolescence inherent in hyper-consumerism. Maintenance demarcates the contours of a world in which we have relinquished the human longing for unlimited power and technological autonomy, a world where our attachment to things is more profound than we ever imagined.
This book disrupts our dominant narratives by putting those individuals skilled in the art of maintenance front and centre. Jerome Denis and David Pontille shine a spotlight on the subtle aspects of caring for things, tracing the stories of those involved and, with them, the ethical challenges raised and political lessons learned. These people demonstrate a sensitivity and attentiveness to fragility; they encourage us to cultivate a material diplomacy in which wear is accepted and our relation to things becomes a matter of negotiation and compromise - a far cry from the frenetic rhythm of planned obsolescence inherent in hyper-consumerism. Maintenance demarcates the contours of a world in which we have relinquished the human longing for unlimited power and technological autonomy, a world where our attachment to things is more profound than we ever imagined.
Reviews / Votes
"For years, the dynamic duo of Denis and Pontille have been producing some of the best work on maintenance and repair out there - full stop. This new translation is a landmark contribution, and one we'll be reading and learning from for years to come."Steven J. Jackson, Professor of Information Science and Science and Technology Studies, Cornell University
"This is a spirited book that, with its large array of cases, will gradually get you sensitised to the fragility of a great diversity of things, so that you come to admire the hands-on experts who nurture stuff and tools, rather than tolerating their decay."
Annemarie Mol, author of The Logic of Care and Eating in Theory
"This book makes the thinking around maintenance into a timely intervention, creating a distinctive proposition that will appeal to a broad readership. The writing is beautiful and accessible, without losing in theoretical sophistication. The thinking is philosophical and ethnographically rich at the same time, and the book combines and deploys a remarkable depth of scholarship, careful attention to empirical detail and stories, as well as a generous approach to theorising."
Maria Puig della Bellacasa, author of Matters of Care
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Oxford
United Kingdom
Publishing group
John Wiley and Sons Ltd
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Dimensions
Height: 231 mm
Width: 155 mm
Thickness: 33 mm
Weight
584 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-5095-6238-1 (9781509562381)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
01/2025
1st Edition
Wiley
€27.99
Available for download
Persons
Jerome Denis is Professor of Sociology at Mines Paris-PSL.
David Pontille is Director of Research at CNRS.
David Pontille is Director of Research at CNRS.
Content
Acknowledgements
Introduction
The art of making things last
A transfer of attention
The vocabulary of humans and things
Pathways
Chapter 1: Maintaining
Beyond innovation
Repair and breakdown
A daily pulsation
Neither heroes nor heroines
Reassigning attention
Chapter 2: Fragilities
Societies repopulated with objects
The diplomacy of wear and tear
Care and things
Chapter 3: Attention
Displacements
Multisensoriality
Expertise
Vigilance
Attachments
Chapter 4: Encounters
Recalcitrance
Disassembly
Transformations
Worries
The dance of maintenance
Chapter 5: Time
Prolongation
Permanence
Slowing down
Stubbornness
From time to thing
Chapter 6: Tact
Adjustments
Surprises
Heritage diplomacies
Pathways inspired by environmental ethics
Ethics and the care of things
Chapter 7: Conflicts
Shortening the life of goods
The values of duration
The emancipation of use
Redistributed knowledge
The people of things
Responsibilities
Conclusion
Notes
Index
Introduction
The art of making things last
A transfer of attention
The vocabulary of humans and things
Pathways
Chapter 1: Maintaining
Beyond innovation
Repair and breakdown
A daily pulsation
Neither heroes nor heroines
Reassigning attention
Chapter 2: Fragilities
Societies repopulated with objects
The diplomacy of wear and tear
Care and things
Chapter 3: Attention
Displacements
Multisensoriality
Expertise
Vigilance
Attachments
Chapter 4: Encounters
Recalcitrance
Disassembly
Transformations
Worries
The dance of maintenance
Chapter 5: Time
Prolongation
Permanence
Slowing down
Stubbornness
From time to thing
Chapter 6: Tact
Adjustments
Surprises
Heritage diplomacies
Pathways inspired by environmental ethics
Ethics and the care of things
Chapter 7: Conflicts
Shortening the life of goods
The values of duration
The emancipation of use
Redistributed knowledge
The people of things
Responsibilities
Conclusion
Notes
Index