Browsing by Subject "Basic Arts Education"

Aim: The aim of this study was to reveal a multi-perspective meanings of craft, bring out feelings which craft making evokes for craft hobbyists and clarify if the craft making increases their well-being. There are very few researches available related to the meanings of craft and craft's impacts to the well-being. The aim of this study was to make the craft hobbyists voice heard and generally emphasize and bring out the importance of creative activity and hobbies. In addition, the aim was to find out in which kind of situations handicrafts have played a significant role in respondents' lives. Based on these thoughts the following two main questions were set for the study: 1) What kind of meanings the students of adult's basic arts education give to the crafts and craft making? 2) How do the handicrafts affect to the well-being of the students of adult's basic arts education? Method: The qualitative data was collected by using an open question from the students of adult's basic arts education in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area during spring 2017. Before sending out the open question via e-mail I presented the topics of my study both in the Basic and Postgraduate Studies group. The recipients of the open question were asked to write a free-form script with the title "I, Craft and well-being". Totally 12 responses were received to the writing request and each of them was at least one page long. I analysed the material separately according to the meaning and wellbeing experience. In the analysis of the meanings I utilized Anna Kouhia's (2012) reference frame of multi-perspectival meanings of crafts and other available theory related to the subject. After that, by utilizing preceding theories, I formed my own reference frame which supported further analysis of the material. As a result, I created my own reference frame of the meanings of the craft. When analysing the well-being I utilized Seligman's theoretical model of happiness (PERMA). Results and conclusions: Based on my study it can be noted that there are several meanings behind craft making. Meanings are very multiple, usually overlapping and sometimes they are even in conflicts with each other. For many people crafts are way to relax which produce happiness day after day and increase well-being. The meanings of crafts are linked tightly to the experiences of well-being. Especially social aspects were emphasized in both categories. In general, the presence of craft in different life situations is dependent on people personalities. Some people use crafts as an important way to relax in difficult life situations whereas other people in the same situation are willing to get rid of all extra issues. Even if sometimes the crafts might be relegated to the background in life, all respondents who participated to the study returned always back to the crafts which illustrates the meaning of crafts as the bringer of well-being as from the point of view of the meanings presented in the study.