Craft as a Resistance to Modernism

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Questions and Answers

What does craft represent against Euroamerican-centric modernism?

A promotion of individual expression

A resistance against tradition and utility

An adoption of the modernist ethos of production and service

A resistance against disregard for tradition, utility, and aesthetic modes of enjoyment beyond the visual (correct)

What is prioritized in the current capitalist model?

Tradition, utility, and aesthetic modes of enjoyment

Individual expression and creativity

Immediacy, efficiency, flexibility, and novelty (correct)

Deep understanding of and engagement with the world and others

What characterizes the 'modernist ethos of production and service'?

Division of labor, efficiency, large scale, productivity, and profit (correct)

Individual expression, creativity, and control over institutions

Division of labor, inefficiency, small scale, low productivity, and low profit

Respect for tradition, utility, and aesthetic modes of enjoyment

Why are mass-produced objects so cheap?

Due to various factors stemming from global inequality and colonial exploitation Signup and view all the answers

What is the 'high price' paid by people in the Global South?

Low wages, exploitative working conditions, environmental damage, and more Signup and view all the answers

Who calls the externalization and imperial mode of living?

Kohei Saito, a Japanese Marxist economist Signup and view all the answers

What is one solution to the issue of mass-produced objects being cheap?

Buy less, buy better, use for long, care, reuse, repair, and repurpose Signup and view all the answers

What is the impact of the global inequality and colonial exploitation of labor and environmental resources on the Global South?

Low wages, exploitative working conditions, environmental damage, and more Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary motivation behind crafting, according to the concept of craftsmanship?

Intrinsic sources, such as the desire to do something well for its own sake Signup and view all the answers

What is the main characteristic of good design, according to the provided information?

Environmental sustainability and social responsibility Signup and view all the answers

What is the concept of 'craftwashing' similar to?

Greenwashing Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary focus of craftsmanship, according to Richard Sennett?

The process of creating something Signup and view all the answers

What is the relationship between craftsmanship and the environment, according to the provided information?

Craftsmanship emphasizes the interconnections and interdependencies between humans and the environment Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary benefit of a refocus on craft and craftsmanship in today's society?

A potential solution to environmental destruction, loss of bio and cultural diversity, social isolation, and global inequality Signup and view all the answers

What is the underlying value of craftsmanship, according to the provided information?

Diversity, heterogeneity, and autonomy Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary goal of the 'right to repair' movement?

To reduce electronic waste and support environmental sustainability Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Craft as a Resistance to Modernism

Craft represents a resistance against Euroamerican-centric modernism, which disregards tradition, utility, and aesthetic modes of enjoyment beyond the visual.
Western modernism prioritizes individual expression over other types of creativity that involve a deep understanding of and engagement with the world and others.

The Devaluation of Craft

Craft as a type of knowledge has been devalued within the current capitalist model, which prioritizes immediacy, efficiency, flexibility, and novelty.
The capitalist model is characterized by "division of labor, efficiency, large scale, productivity, and profit" (Lie, 2021).

Global Inequality and Exploitation

Mass-produced objects are cheap due to factors stemming from global inequality and the colonial exploitation of labor and environmental resources from the Global South by the Global North.
People in the Global South pay the "high price" of low wages, exploitative working conditions, environmental damage, and more.

Alternative to Mass Production

"Few Better Things" is a solution, where consumers buy less, buy better, use for long, care, reuse, repair, and repurpose.
Supporting objects made with care, advocating for the right to repair, and promoting good design and appropriate technology are key.

Craftsmanship

Craftsmanship is defined as "an enduring, basic human impulse, the desire to do a job well for its own sake" (Sennett).
Craft involves creativity, improvisation, curiosity, experimentation, play, taking risks, and solving problems, leading to satisfaction, enjoyment, and a sense of pride and competence.

The Significance of Craft

Craft reflects both intellectual and embodied knowledge, involving skill and creativity, "hand", "heart", and "head".
Craft is a relational process that involves attention to and engagement with the world, emphasizing the ethics of care.
Craft can help address problems such as environmental destruction, loss of bio and cultural diversity, social isolation, and global inequality by promoting diversity, heterogeneity, and autonomy.

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Description

Explore the concept of craft as a resistance to Euroamerican-centric modernism, and how it has been devalued in the current capitalist model. Discover how craft prioritizes tradition, utility, and aesthetic modes of enjoyment beyond the visual.