People occasionally misplace seemingly inconsequential things – gloves, trainers, scarfs etc etc. But perhaps the sociological implications of misplaced objects may not have received as much scholarly attention as they deserve? Bearing in mind that :
“Especially for the purposes of grant applications, researchers must demonstrate how these objects have impacts that go beyond their immediate spatialities to affect a significant proportion of the population “
Despite the difficulties, there are, nevertheless, academic papers examining just such inconsequentialities. One author was inspired to write one for the journal Space and Culture after finding a lost mitten in Salford, UK.. The paper :
“ . . . explores the ephemeral, delicate, and often superficial materiality of these objects of rupture relative to a flow-optimized urban landscape. “
With the observation that :
“ The consequences of inconsequentialities may be more profound than we might think.“
See: Inconsequential Materialities: The Movements of Lost Effects Space and Culture ,Volume: 12 issue: 1, page(s): 95-115