Finding love: The materialities of love-locks and geocaches
This article is the product of a collaboration between a folklorist researching the global phenomenon of love-locks (padlocks attached to public structures in declaration of romantic commitment) and an archaeologist who also happens to be a player of ‘Geocaching’ (a real-world, outdoor treasure hunt...
Authors: | ; |
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Format: | Electronic Article |
Language: | English |
Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
Journals Online & Print: | |
Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
Published: |
Sage Publ.
2021
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In: |
Journal of material culture
Year: 2021, Volume: 26, Issue: 1, Pages: 3-24 |
IxTheo Classification: | AG Religious life; material religion ZB Sociology |
Further subjects: | B
love-lock
B Customs B Materiality B geocache B Assemblage (Art) |
Online Access: |
Volltext (kostenfrei) |
Summary: | This article is the product of a collaboration between a folklorist researching the global phenomenon of love-locks (padlocks attached to public structures in declaration of romantic commitment) and an archaeologist who also happens to be a player of ‘Geocaching’ (a real-world, outdoor treasure hunting game using GPS-enabled devices). A chance discussion between the two revealed significant overlaps between love-locking and geocaching, despite the two practices being divergent in function and intention. Some overlaps are tangible, with love-locks forming an integral component of a number of geocaches worldwide. Other overlaps are theoretical, with both practices resulting in contemporary assemblages, or ‘serial collaborative creations’, fundamentally driven by the relationships between objects, places and human participants. The question driving this article is: what can we learn about these two seemingly different customs by considering where they overlap? |
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ISSN: | 1460-3586 |
Contains: | Enthalten in: Journal of material culture
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Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1177/1359183520959373 |