Browsing by discipline "Craft Science"

Aims. On account of the curriculum reform (POPS, 2014) the subject of craft has become more coherent. The reform introduces the term multi-material crafts, which however, is not precisely defined. As research data on the teaching applying multi-material crafts does not excist at large yet, this research concentrates on defining the term based on official commandments and texts addressing them. This model of multi-material crafts is composed of those texts and commandments. The degree of motivation, in turn, is studied by means of various models specialized on teachers’ and students’ motivation. This research aims to examine what multi-material craft is by experiences and how motivational it is considered. The experiences are compared to the composed models. Methods. The data of the reserch was collected via online questionnaires. There were separate ones for teachers and students. The indicators were built for the research. There were teachers participating on the research from five cities (n=13) And students from four cities (n=88). The research data was collected both in quantitative and qualitative method. The quantitative data was analysed based on standard deviation and arithmetical mean. The differencies between the urban and rural area schools were studied with U-test. The qualitative data was analysed with the analysis of the content. Results and conclusions. It was perceived in the results that the experiences of multi-material crafts were distinct between teachers and students as well as different school districts. The main differences between urban and rural area schools were in the increase of self-direction. Teachers’ experiences were more positive than the ones of students’ in nearly all of the sections. The only exceptions were combining the methods of technical and textile crafts and utilising multiple workspaces. The main feature affecting students’ motivation on multi material crafts was atmosphere. The teachers were motivated by their work but the uncertainty of the continuance of the work and the challenges caused by changes possibly diluted their motivation. On ground of the results it can be said that multi-material crafts are taking shape in the schools. The change on its behalf is affecting the motivation.

Kalevala Jewelry, the most well-known jewelry company of Finland, was founded in 1937 and is owned by The Kalevala Women's Association, a cultural organization which preserves and advances national heritage. Traditionally, Kalevala Jewelry is known for its historical jewelry, but in the 2000's the company has focused particularly in modern design. This study analysed the collections and operation of the company in the context of cultural heritage theory. The study focused on the collections and operation of the company during the era of its establishment in the 1930–40's and during the modern era in the 2000–2010's. The objective of the study was to analyse if the operation and collections of the company were consistent with the changes in the prevailing heritage conceptions. The secondary objective was to decipher how company's own heritage has impacted Kalevala Jewelry's collections and operation. The analysis was based on literature of Kalevala Jewelry and The Kalevala Women's Association, jewelry catalogs from different eras, articles about Kalevala Jewelry published in the Pirta magazine and press releases of the company. Furthermore, Kalevala Jewelry's design leader Kirsti Doukas and Petra Nikkinen, who is in charge of company's communication, were interviewed. The analysis was conducted following the NCT-model for the qualitative content analysis. The collections and operation of Kalevala Jewelry in its first decades were found to be advanced compared with the prevailing heritage conception of the decades. The development, which has occurred in the operation of the company in the 2000's, were shown to reflect the development in the prevailing heritage conception. Traditional cultural heritage was found to be the most evident in Kalevala Jewelry's historical jewelry. However, manifestations of modern unofficial and intangible cultural heritage were found in the company's modern collection. The own heritage of Kalevala Jewelry was shown to be a fundamental part of the company's operation. The heritage of Kalevala Jewelry is also seen in the company's jewelry collections.

Fashion drawing was a main method of portraying fashion before the development of photography. From 1944 to 1951 appeared a Finnish fashion magazine titled Muotikuva. The magazine focused introducing domestic and foreign women's fashion and appeared during eight years time period, four times a year. It is an example of a time when clothes were prepared by hand and pictured by fashion drawing. Kyllikki Raustila (1905-1965) was a pioneer of Finnish fashion drawing. She made a productive career in the field of fashion illustration. For Muotikuva Raustila drew most of the cover images and also illustrated domestic ateliers new fashions such as Ika and La Robe. This study analyses Kyllikki Raustila's way of portraying fashion and its evolution by studying her fashion drawings which were published in Muotikuva. Secondly, the study will analyse how the fashion drawings illustrate the fashion of its time, and what kind of role they have had in Muotikuva-magazine. The research data were Kyllikki Raustila's fashion drawings that appeared in Muotikuva from 1944 to 1951. 19 cover illustrations were Raustila's work and the magazine published over 100 other drawings by her. The data analysis method combined semiotic image analysis and qualitative content analysis. Image analysis was carried out by applying Gillian Rose's (2001/2012) visual data analysis model. From semiotic point of view, images were examined at denotative (structure) and connotative level (content). Fashion was studied from a semiotic point of view, making use of Roland Barthes (1967/1983) theories. Analysis of the fashion drawings was based on the image elements found in fashion photography (clothing, a mannequin, posing and props) defined by Naomi Rosenblum (1984/2007) and Merja Salo (2005). Kyllikki Raustila's fashion drawings utilize the same elements as fashion photographs. The main focus of the fashion drawing is to represent clothes. Drawings are more efficient representations of fashion than photographs. Fashion illustrator presents the main idea of the cloth with abstracting and emphasizing. Muotikuva's mannequin and her posing style remains almost unchanged through the Muotikuva's volumes. The mannequin of the drawings is shown realistic and described poses are natural. Postures of the fashion images are typically asymmetric in relation to different parts of the body. Fashion drawings include asymmetry, in addition to contrasts that create tension and fascination to the image. Development of Kyllikki Raustila's visual expression can be seen in Muotikuva's cover images: Raustila's characteristic Parisian drawing style intensified and cleared. Drawings stabilized rhythmic lines and bold color surfaces, mannequin facial features became more detailed. Overall, Muotikuva-magazine cover mannequin reflected the fashionable ideal of a woman.

This study examines consumers' perceptions of the factors and meanings behind clothing consumption and approaches consumers' perceptions of the concept of reasonable consumption. There are many ecological, ethical and economic perspectives behind clothing consumption. Earlier studies show that leisure time, pin-money and social media in particular have changed consumer behaviors. The research material was collected through focused interviews. A total of five interviewees (3 women and 2 men) were selected at random sampling. The interviewees' background variables included only gender and age, which was limited to 25-30 years. The themes of the focused interviews emerged from the frame of reference. The themes formed were: meanings, material, media, fashion and moderate consumption.The data was analyzed by means of theory-based content analysis. The analysis was divided into three phases: reduction, clustering and creation of theoretical concepts. The original expressions taken from the empirical data were condensed into reduced expressions, subspecies, and generic concepts as the analysis progressed. At the end of the analysis, the generic concepts were linked to previously formed themes which, according to theory-based content analysis, formed the theoretical concepts of the research. As a result of the study, the most important factors influencing the consumption of clothing were the expectations of the subjects about the clothing and the influence of culture created by the media and the fashion. The subjects created expectations for the clothing based on the material, price and manufacturer, which guided the consumption. The subjects experienced media and fashion as creative images that guide the purchase of clothing. General public speech and reflection on ethical and ecological aspects also guided the choices of the subjects. They also saw clothing as a social construct, with consumption driven by respect for the situation and the dress code required by the situation. The meanings in clothing consumption were related to the characteristics of the clothing, its appreciation for the clothing and its sociality. For the subjects, the meanings of the garment was in necessity, instrumentality, and passion. Moderate consumption was structured in the subjects' reflection between need and desire. Appreciation for the garment, the real need for the garment, and the systematic direction of the garment led to moderate consumption. Respondents also felt that external factors such as economic constraints and the surrounding climate influenced moderate consumption.

The objective of this study was to find out what development targets craft teachers could identify in the comprehensive school classes 1 through 9 after the curriculum of the year 2004 had declared craft education uniform in textile and technical craft. Earlier research had shown that after this curricular reform craft education had been carried out in dissimilar ways in different municipalities and schools. This causes differences in the contents of teaching and thus in learning outcomes on national level. The most problematic situations occur on the 7th grade when the classes contain pupils with very heterogeneous skill levels. My intention is to find general themes in craft education that are significant when considering developmental objectives. The problem was explored by four research questions as follows: What kind of problems have craft teachers confronted during the application of the curriculum 2004, what are the most important objectives and contents in craft for the comprehensive school, how craft education should be arranged in the future and what prerequisites should be considered to generate high quality craft education? The study was carried out by a qualitative research approach. The informants consisted of 21 persons, out of which 15 were textile or technical teachers and six were textile or technical teacher students. The research data was collected in the form of short open narratives, based on a partially structured inquiry. Respectively content analysis was applied for analysis of the narratives. Research results revealed that craft teachers were mainly satisfied in uniform craft and hoped that both textile and technical craft could be compulsory school subjects for both genders. Textile and technical craft should be defined as separate independent school subjects, both of which should be developed with broader and high quality contents. Craft subjects should be allocated more teaching time. Teachers asked for a more logically proceeding curriculum, initiating from the beginning to the end of the compulsory school. It was suggested that this could be done by a qualified subject teacher. A uniform curriculum solution must be found for the whole country.

The aim of the study was to get acquainted with the activity of Näppärät Mummot, a Lahti-based crafts society, and its importance to the wellness of the members of the group. The selected aim, i.e., analyzing the wellness, largely affected the whole research process and its results. According to earlier studies in the field, different forms of craft and expressional activity promote one's wellness as well as support the work for one's identity. Based on my theoretical knowledge, my research was set out to: 1) form a general view of crafts culture within Näppärät Mummot and 2) find out how recollective craft that promotes wellness is perceived through communality, experiential activity, work for one's identity, and divided as well as undivided craft. Qualitative field work was governed by ethnographic research strategy, according to which I set out to get thoroughly familiar with the society I was studying. The methods I used to collect data were participant observation and thematic interview. I used a field diary for writing down all data I acquired through the observation. The interviewee group was formed by seven members of Näppärät Mummot. An mp3 recorder was used to record the interviews, which I transcribed later. The method for data analysis was qualitative content analysis, for which I used Weft QDA, a qualitative analysis software application. I formed themes that shed light on research tasks from the data using coding and theory-driven analysis. I kept literature and data I collected in cooperation through the whole analysis process. Lastly, drawing from the classes of meaning of therapeutic craft that I sketched by means of summarizing and classifying, I presented the central concepts that describe the main results of the study. The main results were six concepts that describe Näppärät Mummot's crafts culture and recollective craft with its wellness-beneficial effect: 1) autobiographical craft, 2) shared work for one's identity, 3) shared intention for craft, 4) craft as a partner, 5) individual manner of craft, and 6) shared improvement. Craft promoted wellness in many ways. It was used to promote inner life management in difficult times and it also provided sensations of empowerment through pleasure from craft. Expressional, shared craft also served as means of reinforcing one's identity in various ways. Expressional work for one's identity through autobiographical themes of craft represented rearranging one's life through holistic craft. A personal way of doing things also served as expressional action and work for one's identity even with divided craft. Shared work for identities meant reinforcing the identities of the members through discourses of craft and interaction with their close ones. What proves the interconnection between communality and craft as well as their shared meaning is that communality motivated the members to work on their craft projects, while craft served as the means of communication between the members: communication through craft was easier than lingual communication. The results can not be generalized to apply to other groups: they are used to describe the versatile means of recollective craft to promote the well-being among the crafts society Näppärät Mummot. However, the results do introduce a new perspective to the social discussion on how cultural activities promote well-being.

The sampler is a work which has helped girls to practice sewing and embroidery for centuries. It is not common to sew them anymore, but there are lots of old samplers in museum collections. This study discusses the samplers at the Helsinki University Museum Craft Science Collection. The collection has been accumulated within textiles teacher education in Helsinki since the late 19th century. Most of the objects are practice works made by students in textiles teacher education. While both the Craft Science Collection and single objects of the collection have previously been studied, the samplers and the collection formed by them have been less focused on. The aim of this study was to survey the samplers of the Craft Science Collection and to analyze meanings related to sampler as a needlework and to the collection formed by the samplers. The study was carried out by using the Significance analysis method which is originally created for museum objects. The method consists of the stages of preparation, data acquisition, familiarization and contextualization. Then, the research material is evaluated with seven criteria: representativeness, authenticity, historical and cultural significance, memorable significance, communal significance, ideal situation and usability. As a result, the study shows that sampler as a needlework conveyed traditions and values. As part of studies of textiles teacher education, it functioned as practice work which formed identity and connected generations from the late 19th century until the early 20th century. The collection of samplers was found to have especially communal, historical and cultural significance. This collection conveys information about handicrafts, craft education and textiles teacher education of the past – and about the values behind them. The collection would have potential to act as teaching, exhibition or research material, but in some cases, the absence of context information may complicate it.

The aim of this work was to study what kind of working grips people use to knit in Finland and decide if one grip is superior to others. I investigated how knitters have adopted their grips and how they experience their knitting. I also explored whether it is possible to change one's grip. To provide a theoretical basis for the research I observed knitting in terms of culture, skill and ergonomics. The first part of the study material comprised video recordings of the grips of 95 knitters together with background information collected via a questionnaire during the education of craft teachers at the University of Helsinki in spring 2004, 2005 and 2006. Using the data obtained I focused on three knitters, whose grip of the knitting needles clearly differed from the ergonomically good grip. In addition to them I interviewed one student, who had changed over to more ergonomic way of knitting after participating in the first part of this study. In this respect my study is a several events' case study. In order to analyse my data I used both qualitative and quantitative content analysis methods to complement each other. Most of my research participants had learned to knit in first years of elementary school or comprehensive school. Almost everyone had adopted the basics of knitting by imitating, and many of them had corrected "incorrect" positions from verbal instructions. Through practice the imitated position had gradually become the style unique to each knitter. The findings showed that students' background in knitting is quite varied due to the diverse level of craft teaching. This is reflected in their knitting grips and their interest in knitting. Students do not think that there is one right working grip. The most important thing is that working seems as fluent and relaxed as possible, at which point knitting is easy and flows freely. They often consider their own style so pleasing and well-functioning that they do not think there could be any room for improvement. This study pointed out that, while it is possible to change a knitter's working grip, there is a bigger challenge in acknowledging weaknesses in one's know how. According to the results of my research, the most common working grip among Finnish knitters' corresponds with the grip that has been described as ergonomically good. Over one third of all participants knitted this way. Hands keep the knitting firmly but without tension. The forefinger that guides the yarn from the ball rests gently against the knitting needle, and the yarn goes in front of the first joint of the forefinger. The position of the hands and loops is the same as in the ergonomically good grip, i.e. the fingertips of both hands and the loops are near the tips of the knitting needles, so that the fingers only have to move small distances. When knitters purl and plain, they commonly pick up the yarn from the back of the knitting needle in the same way as when knitting. While researching the common features of working grips I have learned what abnormal grips are like. Although I recognized many different ways to knit, all the peculiar grips were modifications of the continental way of knitting. The results of this study give a clear picture of those points knitters should focus their attention on in order to gain a good hold of the needles.

The curriculum of the Finnish basic education system was renewed in 2014, and the new curriculum was implemented in schools starting in 2016. This brought changes for the teaching on crafts. The subject of crafts was unified, and textile work and technical work are no longer separated. The curriculum also defines crafts as a multi-material subject in which the focus on the process as a whole is encouraged. Previous study has shown that curriculum changes present challenges to teachers, and that teachers need support in these challenges. This study aims to find which kinds and types of challenges that craft teachers experience in connection with the new changes in the curriculum. The study was performed in the context of peer group mentoring, and it also aims to find the kind of support that teachers experience from peer group mentoring. The study was performed as a qualitative case study, in which the studied material was collected from the communications of craft teachers participating in peer group mentoring sessions. The group consisted of a mentor and eight participants, who were female craft teachers who were at different stages of their careers. The group meetings were recorded using video and audio equipment, and the content of the recordings were transcribed into text form. The transcriptions were then analysed to find themes. For finding the challenges that the teachers experienced, the analysis was done in a material-driven way, and for finding the support types, the analysis was driven by the theoretical basis of peer group mentoring. The analysis revealed four types of challenges experienced by the teachers: challenges related to the distribution of lesson hours and optional studies; challenges related to to the content of the new curriculum; challenges related to the work community; and worries related to the problems caused by the new curriculum. In the teachers' experience, peer group mentoring was found to give three types of support: 1) it increased their well-being and brought a sense of empowerment, 2) it gave concrete advice for dealing with challenges and 3) it served as an environment for learning in common that helped teachers to understand the new curriculum better and clarified their thinking. Overall, a number of challenges requiring support for teachers were identified, and peer group support was found to be beneficial as a support method. Peer group mentoring could serve as a useful method for support when new curricula are introduced.