Browsing by Author "Kangasmäki, Tiia"

Objectives. The task of this research is to describe, analyze and interpret how school crafts is represented on the image sharing and social network service Instagram. The representation of crafts is studied from two perspectives. In the first part of the study, the representation of crafts is investigated from a constructive point of view, i.e. what kind of reality Instagram posts build about crafts. In the second part of the study, the representation of crafts is investigated from an intentional point of view, i.e. what the publishers want to tell about crafts through their publishing activities. In addition to this, the study examines how Instagram is used to represent the multi-materiality of school crafts and the holistic craft process. Methods. The research materials are 266 Instagram posts about the school crafts and the theme interview materials of six publishers. Publication materials are analyzed using the methods of data-driven quantitative content analysis, and theme interview materials are analyzed using the methods of data-driven qualitative content analysis. Results and Conclusions. School subject crafts is communicated through Instagram accounts that are mainly focused on either textile or technical work taught in school. Crafts is represented on Instagram, as in its history, as two separate contents. The multi-materiality of crafts is commonly taught in basic education by focusing on teaching various techniques separately, meaning that students usually learn technical and textile work contents periodically, according to the materials studied. Only a little attention is given to craft activities that combines techniques of technical and textile work. Based on the Instagram content, versatile handicrafts are created at schools using the methods of holistic craft process. Despite this, the holistic craft process, including ideation, designing, production, and evaluation, are mainly visible through finished products. Instagram has been given the role as a virtual exhibition space for crafts, where a diverse production is presented to different target groups. Publishers named current students, prospective students, parents, the teacher itself, and other handicraft teachers across the country as their target groups. Publishers wanted to present school crafts to the target groups from slightly different perspectives, but the ways of communicating about crafts varied very little. More than 70% of Instagram posts about school crafts focus on finished products. Some publishers had made a decision to communicate about crafts through finished products only, especially for students' privacy reasons. Some publishers wanted to show more of the functional nature of crafts and the intermediate stages of the craft process, but these goals were often not achieved due to the hectic nature of teaching. Therefore, also they often ended up present-ing crafts through finished products. Regardless of the publisher's target group and purpose for Instagram communication, the functional nature of crafts on Instagram was generally reduced to merely showcasing products.