Mapping the methodologies of the craft sciences in Finland, Sweden and Norway (original) (raw)

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.

Mapping presentations of crafts in the Danish heritage industry

FormAkademisk

In this paper, I present the methodological and theoretical deliberations behind a mapping of how crafts are presented in the Danish cultural heritage industry. I trace the historical background of crafts in the Danish heritage industry and present definitions of key concepts such as ‘craft’ and ‘the Danish heritage industry’. I then develop a research design consisting of a questionnaire and ethnographic fieldwork. I consider how research questions about scope and variation can be operationalized in the questionnaire and how theoretical perspectives from critical heritage studies (Smith, 2006) and vital materialism (Bennett, 2010; 2012) can inform the questionnaire and fieldwork. Finally, some preliminary findings are presented along with some comments on the use of questionnaires in heritage research.

Theoretical and methodological basis of the nature study and characteristics of craft work

Theoretical and methodological basis of the nature study and characteristics of craft work, 2019

This article examines various controversial views on the increasing importance of craftsmanship today. Due to the wide variety of types of craft activities, it is difficult to give a single, precise and general description of the craft, so the opinions are compared and a detailed explanation of the concept of craftsmanship and the factors influencing it.

Crafting Sustainability: Handcraft in Contemporary Art and Cultural Sustainability in the Finnish Lapland

Crafting sustainability is discussed here with respect to the dimensions of handcraft traditions in contemporary art for promoting cultural sustainability in the Scandinavian North. Aspects of decolonization, cultural revitalisation, and intergenerational dialogue form an integral part of the negotiations around the need for cultural survival and renewal for a more sustainable future. These dimensions should also be considered in the development of the current education of art teachers. Learning traditional skills and applying them in contemporary art constitute an influential method when striving for cultural sustainability. This study examines three handcraft-based contemporary art cases through art-based action research conducted in the Finnish and the Swedish Lapland. The results show that handcraft-based contemporary art practices with place-specific intergenerational and intercultural approaches create an open space for dialogue where the values and the perceptions on cultural heritage can be negotiated.

Reflecting on the relationship between craft and history: perspectives, resources and contemporary implications

This chapter examines one of the more prominent features of the complex and often highly contested relationship between contemporary forms of craft and their earlier incarnations. It responds to a persistent conceptual challenge that also has significant practical implications: ‘This false choice of modern craft, between present and past, complicity and detachment, is a discursive trap. Only by traversing that dialectic can craft be a powerful agent of change, both morally and economically.’ (Adamson, 2013: 210) The chapter considers how craft researchers might draw fresh insights from historical studies in order to bridge this temporal divide. I hope that the examples might also prove helpful to practitioners as they seek to incorporate and transcend the legacies of previous generations. The chapter is divided into three sections. First, I summarise the main themes identified in the existing body of research and illustrate how historically-informed studies have shed new light on craft practice and modes of organisation in the modern era. The second section is concerned with the different ways in which craftsmen and others, such as market intermediaries and connoisseurs, have enrolled historical narratives and associations as a resource, typically with the aim of either promoting or defending particular craft products, practices or values. The third section offers some concluding remarks on the scope and limitations of historical research methods, and how they might contribute to future work in this area.

Craft education in sustaining and developing craft traditions Craft education in sustaining and developing craft traditions Reflections from Finnish craft teacher education

Techne series - Research in Sloyd Education and Craft Science A, 2019

In 2013, the UNESCO convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage was ratified by Finland, and its implementation has continued since. During this process, the discussions on the role of craft tradition have concerned the specific features of Finnish craft culture. One recognised aspect is the role of craft education in Finnish basic education. This article discusses the role of craft education in sustaining and developing textile craft traditions from the perspective of craft teacher education. The student teachers' portfolios from two courses were examined to determine how students applied traditional crafts and craft techniques in individual work and in teaching practices. The findings suggest that the way the students applied crafts traditions was often related to their own motivation, experiences, and ideation. Some of the topics in these two courses guided them to apply craft traditions but often it was their own choice to consider traditional aspect. Following the guidelines of the Finnish Curriculum for Basic Education, Finnish craft teacher education does not particularly focus on craft traditions. Taking the targets of safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage seriously, more effort is required when educating future teachers about craft traditions and the ways to sustain and develop them further.