ABSTRACT
This opening chapter lays the foundations for the book and for its overarching focus on the materiality of nothing and the notion of material affinities. It situates the book in the key overarching bodies of literature it speaks to – in particular, the sociology of nothing, the sociology of the everyday, studies of consumption and disposal, material culture and materiality, and the small body of work around material absence and loss. Outlining where the concept of material affinities emerged from and how it can be applied to objects and materials of ‘nothing’, I illuminate the potential ‘gap’ in contemporary studies of materiality, consumption and sustainability. The latter half of the chapter details the research the book draws on. I describe the object interview method I have developed and my efforts to overcome the subject–object dualism that so many studies of materiality face. I move on to situate the 15 years of research the book draws on, detailing the projects involved and how my research has evolved. Finally, the chapter provides a summary of the proceeding chapters.
