The tools and materials of making : an ethnography of makers
Abstract
The maker and handmade movement have influenced many aspects of our popular culture. The embracing of the handmade has become a value-based proposition for many consumers. So much so that the maker is the subject of much scholarly research. However, that research often does not look at the made as part of the maker. This research explores the making of the object itself from the perspective of the maker’s tools, materials and processes. Using Artisanal Ethnography and Reflexive Ethnography, the research explores ten artisans and the researcher himself as they create different items in the media of their choice. It explores how those tools and materials influence the maker and the object being made and how this influences the process of making. In the end, the maker joins forces with the making to create a personal experience that is part of the final object.
Related items
Showing items related by title, author, creator and subject.
-
A tribal journey : canoes, traditions, and cultural continuity
Marshall, Tamara (2011-08-09)In addressing the necessity of cultural transmission from one generation to the next, this ethnographic study examines ways that Indigenous canoe journeys enable communication of ancestral teachings and traditions, ... -
Be sugar in milk : local perspectives on volunteer tourism in India and Uganda
Stritch, Rohan Lea (2011-07-26)This research explores the ways in which volunteer tourism is perceived by local volunteer coordinators in communities in India and Uganda. It highlights the importance of forming a more nuanced understanding of local ... -
The hidden mark : an ethnographic examination of visibility in heavily tattooed professionals
McLeod, Josh M. (2014-05-08)Few social boundaries still exist regarding tattooed individuals in Western society, yet the professional workplace remains a barrier to heavily tattooed individuals today. The historical stigma attached to heavily tattooed ...