The Maker Movement
Philosophies of Craft #
John Ruskin
Background Info
William Morris
Craft Today
Arts & Crafts Movement #
DIY Culture
Craft Motivations
Creativity Reframed
Digital
Web 1.0
Web 2.0/Social Media
Wikipedia
Tools for Change
Social Capital
Deschooling
Generativity
Preserving the Open, Creative Web #
Artist, art critic, social thinker, writer
Opposed industrialism and exploitative capitalism
Had attachment to values of communities, local-level organic production, care for the environment, and valuring all workers
Argued financial wealth that doesn't contribute to human happiness is no wealth at all
1819-1900
On Gothic Style
Admired the 'savagery' and 'rudeness' of Gothic style because it's loving embrace of humanity's imperfections
It was 'thoughtful' work
People making things with fixed specifications were 'slaves'
Would have not opposed digital; loved the relationship of parts which formed a complex interwoven network
On Division of Labour
Complex tasks broken down into stages with each worker responsible for production of one stage
Alienation (Karl Marx)
Ruskin believed it steals from worker the opportunity to create whole object and to put own creative mark on it
Separating stages of production adds feeling of meaninglessness
Thought work is vital because it connects man with nature and with God
Background Info
1834-1896
British designer, writer, activist
Mastered many creative techniques like embroidery, woodcuts, tapestry weaving, etc.
Founded Morris & Co and Kelmscott Press
Main Ideas
Admired medieval Europe as example of pre-capitalist society built on community and craft
Feared industrial capitalism diverted people's desires away from the natural love of nature, creativity and fresh air, etc
Recognized people have to 'make do' within a system which is not of their choosing
Ahead of his time when it came to environment and sustainability
Believed sharing of art in a community was part of society's life-blood
Claims creative work offers hope in three ways
- hope of rest - pleasueable feeling of job well done
- hope of product - achievement of having made something
- hope of pleasure in the work itself - conscious pleasure in the activity while its being engaged in
Understood genuine art to be 'the expression of man's pleasure in his handiwork'
Central idea was that all creative work was of equal status, and was the means by which humans could connect with nature, with their own sense of self, and with other people
Spread majorly in US where it connected with American ideas of self-reliance, individualism, community
Arts and Craft Movement built on ideas of Ruskin and Morris
Movement centred on physical and mental freedom
"Do it yourself" is part of original message of the movement
Emerged in the 1960's
Culture emerged because it was argued that the formal education system had filled students heads with abstract information, lacking real-world usefulness
Stewart Brand published The Whole Earth Catalog which offered readers gateway to all kinds of resources
Key Figures
Alan Watts
John Holt
Stewart Brand
Arts & Crafts Movement led to rise of DIY movement
Punk DIY
Rejection of the glossy, highly-produced, celebrity-oriented mainstream of popular culture
Amy Spencer DIY: The Rise of Lo-Fi Culture
Emphasis on content rather than style
Do things yourself instead of relying on experts or by paying someone else to provide a solution
People want to be part of community and movement with appealing values
It's sustainable
Homemade things carry personal touch of person who has made them
Certain satisfaction comes from making things
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's definition of creativity is that creativity is usually identified by its outcomes: things or ideas which haven't been seen before, and which make a difference in the context in which they appear
He insists creative creations should be noticed and appreciated by influential people in the relevant field
"Everyday creativity refers to a process which brings together at least one active human mind, and the material or digital world, in the activity of making something which is novel in that context, and is a process which evokes a feeling of joy" (Gauntlett)
"Creativity is something that is felt, not something that needs external expert verification" (Gauntlett)
Making something from the ground up
You leave metaphoric footprints on what you make
Requires manual dexterity and intellectual agility
Tim Berners Lee
"read-only"
required web-masters to be able to use it
static pages and basic hypertext mark-up language
Dale Dougherty
"read-write"
static pages turned social
its still tinkering and weaving something from the ground up
Youtube
most-used online video platform
unlike television which is professional and complex
it's everyday people making handmade videos
Can't re-edit videos by someone else but can communicate through posting your own videos or leaving likes/comments
encourage users to express their creativity
offers a framework for participation
agnostic about content
fostering community
participatory website that's in pursuit of knowledge, information and truth
people can re-edit work of others
collaborator environment
individual or communities network of relationships
Happiness
people are bad at predicting what will make them happy
increase in economic capital only makes difference to those who were previously poor
relative wealth is what makes people more or less happy
Richard Layard’s Big Seven Factors affecting happiness
family relationships
financial situation
work
community and friends
health
personal freedom
personal values
Gauntlett adds agency and goal oriented behaviours that are other-oriented
James Coleman
Robert Putnam
author of bowling alone
concern about the demise of the “American art of associating together”
said it's one of the potential resources "an actor" can use
based on trust and shared values
source of useful information as well as norms and sanctions
can be bridging, bonding or linking
Bridging: residents have broad connections that help them expand opportunities
Bonding: residents have a close connection that give a sense of belonging and help them get by
Linking: residents have connections to organizations and systems that help them gain resources and bring about change
Pierre Bourdieu
wanted to study how dominant classes retain their position and concluded that it was based not only on economic capital
used social capital to show harsh reality of social inequality
social capital arises as a resource which is available to them
He believed that when people meet up to engage in their shared enthusiasm, this provides really valuable social glue
actually affects the outcomes of social behaviour
Ivan Illich
Illich argued that uniform systems start causing more harm than good at a certain point
Schools, instead of providing education, become institutional system that become machines to deliver schooling
Schools trains pupils to depend on treatment offered by big institutions to be whole and prepares us for a lifetime under other institutions
"cruelest manipulation is that they lead people to believe they are unable to do things for themselves and that the big institutional solution is the only legitimate one"
(Making is Connecting, pg 105)
Illich said solution is create a new educational environment that helps people to learn things they want to learn about, when they want to
Conviviality
Ivan Illich
Tools for Conviviality intended to be pamphlet where Illich could discuss his general theory of tools.
Conviviality is about "being vigorously engaged in relationships, conscious of values and meanings; and it is about having the capacity to communicate yourself directly, and to create the things of your world yourself." (Making is Connecting, pg 106)
About the power to shape one's own world
it is also joyfulness which is lost when try to put everything into systems and institutions
Jonathan Zittrain
Generativity; the right and the opportunity to be creative (coined by Jonathan Zittrain)
Generative Technology; technology that allows you to do whatever you want, for yourself
Tim Berners-Lee
World Wide Web; idea was any piece of online information could link to any other piece to allow maximum sharing of ideas and experiences
Web is a convivial tool when if it remain universal platform; people can join the conversation on a light level or deep level whenever
Craftivism
Sarah Corbett
Gentle Protest
Angry Activism
Angry activism can lead to trouble and quick outbursts can create confrontation and conflict
Angry actions can turn people away from joining your cause because you might be intimidating them without realizing it
Robotic Activism
Scattered approach to activism rather than a focused one
Engaging in activities activities without engaging deeply with the issue at hand
Gentleness
To be thoughtful about actions, consider the most effective approach and keep an eye on details
Self-control is key
Protesting through compassion and empathy
Using emotional intelligence to engage with others effectively
kindness, decency, thoughfulness
The Slow Movement
Core of movement is wanting to do well and to do good
It is about making time to reflect and to think critically about pace we need to go at to do everything well, rather than fast
Anushka Bagde
COM 199
Professor Vogelaar