Objects are not merely functional; they act as signs carrying cultural, personal and emotional meanings. The way space is organized (or disorganized) communicates meaning. This paper critically engages with the scholarship on “home away from home,” interrogating the complexities of homemaking within migration literature. While home is increasingly understood as a dynamic process rather than a fixed position, this study examines how mobile Indian men navigate the tensions between movement and settlement, particularly in the context of occupational relocations. The research foregrounds the role of material culture in shaping and reflecting non-Western masculine identities, exploring how domestic objects mediate emotions, belonging and embodiment in transitory living conditions.
Employing the theoretical lens of “temporal materialities” and “object attachments”, this study draws on thematic analysis of interviews, participant-generated photographs and researcher-generated drawing observations to investigate the evolving relationships between mobile men and their material objects. Findings contribute to a more nuanced understanding of home-making among mobile populations, moving beyond simplistic binaries of permanent vs. temporary, masculine vs. feminine, and private vs. public. Through an analysis of object biographies, the paper identifies three key themes—blending tradition and modernity, adaptability and multifunctionality and personal expression through material interactions, that illuminate the affective and embodied dimensions of mobility.
Migration disrupts traditional identity structures, but objects help maintain continuity. By centring the emotional entanglements of homemaking, this study contributes to anthropological discussions on migration, identity and materiality, offering a new perspective on how men construct and maintain a sense of home in motion.