T-shaped craft researchers' contribution in transdisciplinary research projects (original) (raw)

Mapping the methodologies of the craft sciences in Finland, Sweden and Norway

Craft Research, 2020

The craft sciences have emerged as a field of academic research in Finland, Sweden and Norway since the early 1990s. In Finland, craft research has examined various aspects of crafts using a multidisciplinary approach, adapting a range of methods from other academic disciplines according to the research topic. Another source has been the schools of domestic sciences in which craft research has been a recognized field. In Sweden and Norway, craft research has developed strongly in architectural conservation and cultural heritage with a focus on traditional craftsmanship and the performative elements of intangible cultural heritage. This article offers an overview of the developments and progress of the field of craft sciences in these countries, including its methodological approaches, with a focus on Ph.D. theses. Through mapping recurrent methodological approaches, the following categories were derived: craft reconstruction, craft interpretations, craft elicitation, craft amplification and craft socialization. The aim of the classification, and the model derived from it, is to help researchers and students understand better how different types of knowledge relate to different research methods and apply them within their own research. The purpose of the research is to create a common infrastructure for research and education in order to connect and strengthen the dispersed academic communities of craft research and to establish craft science as a formally recognized discipline within the academic system.

Best laid plans: Research design and the field in a study of crafts in the Hampi region

2017

The article engages with debates on the contemporary practice of ‘traditional’ regional Indian crafts and the disciplinary position of craft at a time when the roles traditionally assigned to academia, patrons (industry and craft non-governmental organizations [NGOs]) and craftspeople are in flux. The author takes the reader through a self-reflexive journey of unlearning based on her experiences as project researcher on an initiative to document traditional crafts in and around the Hampi World Heritage site. What began as an ‘objective’ attempt to present a comprehensive field-based project to document the living craft traditions of a region transformed into a discussion on the politics of research. The example of the Hampi project made it clear to the author that knowledge production is dialogic. ‘Field’, ‘place’ and ‘community’, whether project committee, general public or craftspeople (so-called objects of enquiry), can and do influence the parameters of research design. And this understanding leads to an acceptance on her part that, in turn, ‘researchers’ can only impact the field in a limited way. Consequently, a more useful role for herself and other communities, including craft NGOs, might be that of giving voice to the voiceless, in this instance, craftspeople. More significantly that the views and concerns of craftspeople do matter irrespective of whether they are in accord with the views of individuals, groups or communities that seek to support them, whether craft industry, patrons or researchers.

Epilogue: The Future of Craft Research.

Crafting in the World: Materiality in the Making, 2018

This chapter summarises the key themes addressed by the various case studies in the book, discussing, gender, identity, the role of choice, nostalgia, psychology and the importance of the cultural context in which crafting takes place.

Explorations in Craft Sciences

Craft Sciences, 2022

In her research, she focuses on communication of craft knowledge. She has specialised on this in relation to plant propagation practice, a knowledge needed both in garden management and in the preservation of plants of special interest. As a director of the Craft Laboratory, a national centre for craft in conservation, she works to build bridges between academia and cultural heritage institutions to support the development of knowledge exchange in the practice of crafts.

Archaeological Science and Experimental Archaeology Can Inform Sustainable Innovative Craft

Sustainability

This paper provides an example of how combining archaeological analysis of ancient materials with current technological needs can lead to new and innovative products designed to promote sustainability within the heritage craft sector. The project behind this paper, RecRAAFT, promoted activities where potters collaborated with archaeologists to create prototypes of sustainable ceramic objects. Potters applied ancient manufacturing techniques and work practices, following interpreted steps of past production methods. Artisans aimed to produce pieces that appeal to the public while reducing their reliance on the global supply chain, promoting a more sustainable consumer culture. Once these processes were understood, experimentation that incorporated public engagement activities allowed artisans to utilise their experimental craft practice to educate people about sustainable production and consumption. RecRAAFT worked to create synergistic relationships between artisans, researchers, an...

The Use of Craft Skills in Historical Textile Research

European Textile Forum & Hopkins, Heather (2013). Ancient textiles, modern science: re-creating techniques through experiment : proceedings of the First and Second European Textile Forum 2009 and 2010. Oxford, UK: Oxbow Books, 2013