Browsing by discipline "Slöjdvetenskap"

The skills and knowledge stored by the body have been given lower value than the knowledge learned through thought. However, in today’s research the learning process is more comprehensive. Learning is not only about acting through though, learning includes also the learner's bodily sensations, feelings, and social interactions. The purpose of this study was to find out how embodied skill learning and teaching in a community appears in general and how the subjective embodied skill learning is recognized by a new participant in the community. In this research general embodied skill learning appearance was studied by ethnographic methods, which were refined to the auto-ethnographic method when looking at the subjective process of embodied skill learning. The research material was collected during spring 2019 from craft project which was carried by Visually Impaired Association of Helsinki and Uusimaa. Ethnographic data collection was carried out through participatory observation and interviews at craft evenings, clubs and other events for the visually impaired by collecting observations and discussions into the field diary. To collect auto-ethnographic data I as a re-searcher settled as a pupil into this craft community and produced two products. During handcrafting I observed my embodied skill learning process by writing a research journal, photographing and reviewing the finished products. The research data has been analyzed using content analysis. The results describe how the individual and the community draw from each other in the stag-es of embodied skill learning process during multisensory craft activities. Individual embodied skill learning and community support around the learner, as well as the knowledge and skills network, are in continuous circular interaction. It is possible for the learner to share subjective experiences in the community, where the experiences are articulated and given meaning. Multi-sensory teaching can provide building blocks for embodied skill learning for learners of different types, where meaningful experiential learning can enable more holistic learning. Sharing and acting in the community is an interactive activity where one can also learn to act more ethically towards others and the environment.

The aim of this study is to find out how sustainable craft is presented in Suuri Käsityö, a Finnish textile crafts and design magazine. Sustainable craft is a concept I developed for the purpose of this study, and it is based on the theoretical framework regarding this thesis. The activity of craft between a consumer and producer defined sustainable development, sustainable consumption and sustainable fashion as the aspects of the frame of reference. Therefore, the outline of the research problem was motivated by the sustainable point of view in textile consumption and the fields of sustainable fashion. This study aims to find out how sustainable craft is presented in the articles of Suuri Käsityö magazine. I examined my primary research question with the help of secondary questions: What kind of materials are represented in the articles? What techniques are introduced to renew used textile materials? Has there been trends in sustainable craft during the years between 2000 and 2008? I approached my research problem by conducting a content analysis and a systematic analysis. My data consisted of the Suuri Käsityö magazine's volumes between 2000 and 2008. Of all the articles published in the volumes, I chose only those that introduced used materials as a source to create handicrafts. I found a number of 160 articles of this kind in nine volumes, and the articles included 206 handicrafts. After this, I examined both text and pictures of the articles. The observational units of my analysis were handicrafts, and the categorical units were materials and techniques. In addition, I analysed the trends of each volume according to separate categories. During the analysis, I categorized different materials and techniques. The categories for the materials were old products, leftover material and wastematerial. I divided the category of old products further to the subcategories of old clothes, interior textiles, furniture and interior objects. Similarly, the subcategories of the techniques became remake, renewal, refashion, repair, decoration and hobby activity. The trends seemed to be renewing and reclaiming of material, increasing of remaking, diversifying of techniques as well as the variety of material. I discussed the results of my analysis by conducting a systematic analysis. I discovered that sustainable craft is presented through appreciation toward the material and usage of craft techniques in order to restore the value of the products. To use old products is the most popular category in my data. There is some variation in the category of techniques, but remaking shows the most rapid increase during the years. During the first years of the 21st century, attention was drawn toward the product's life cycle by renewing products and reclaiming different materials. However, by the end of the decade remaking was very well-presented, all types of material were used in handicrafts and they were made using versatile techniques. Based on qualitative analysis of the articles, it seems that product life cycle and quality, material, joy and insight and renewal of tradition are, indeed, qualities of sustainable craft.

The concept of sustainable fashion covers not only the ecological and ethical matters in fashion and textile industries but also the cultural and social affairs, which are equally intertwined in this complex network. Sustainable fashion does not have one explicit or well-established definition; however, many researchers have discussed it from different perspectives. This study provides an overview of the principals, practices, possibilities, and challenges concerning sustainable fashion. It focuses particularly on the practical questions a designer faces. The aim of this study was to answer the following questions: What kind of outlooks and practices are included in sustainable fashion? How could the principles of sustainable fashion be integrated into designing and making clothes? The qualitative study was carried out by using the Grounded Theory method. Data consisted mainly of academic literature and communication with designers who practice sustainable fashion. In addition to these, several websites and journalistic articles were used. The data was analyzed by identifying and categorizing relevant concepts using the constant comparative method, i.e. examining the internal consistency of each category. The study established a core category, around which all other categories are integrated. The emerged concepts were organized into a model that pieces together different ideas about sustainable fashion, namely, when the principles of sustainable development are applied to fashion practices. The category named Considered Take and Return is the core of the model. It consists of various design philosophies that form the basis of design practice, and thus it relates to all other categories. It is framed by the category of Attachment and Appreciation, which reflects the importance of sentiment in design practice, for example the significance of aesthetics. The categories especially linked to fashion are Materials, Treatments of Fabrics and Production Methods. The categories closely connected with sustainable development are Saving Resources, Societal Implications, and Information Transparency. While the model depicts separate categories, the different segments are in close interaction. The objective of sustainable fashion is holistic and requires all of its sections to be taken into account.

The purpose was to study the reasons why Finnish jewellery designers and artists have chosen jewellery as their means of expression, what are the starting points for designing and making their jewellery and what it means for them to make jewellery by hand. Jewellery designers and artists often find it difficult to verbalize their work. The purpose of the study was to reveal the world of ideas of jewellery designers and artists and the backgrounds of these difficult-to-say things. The theoretical framework of the dissertation dealt with the development of artistic jewellery in Finland, jewellery designations and the significance of making jewellery by hand for jewellery makers. The study was a qualitative interview study using phenomenography as a research strategy. The data was collected using a thematic interview as an interview method. Five jewellery designers and artists were selected and three of the target individuals participated in the group discussion and two of them were interviewed as individuals. What all the interviewees had in common was that they design and make their own jewellery by hand. The group interview data consisted of 35 spelled pages, person D's interview of 20 spelled pages, and person E's telephone interview of 15 spelled pages. The analysis of the data was theory-based and used thematic design as a method. The themes of the analysis arose from the concept of the theory, but their meanings and contents came from the data. The reason for the choice of jewellery as a means of expression appeared to be essentially related to the nature of jewellery as a bodily object and its relation to the proportions of the human body. Jewellery was seen as a fascinating, limitless, and opportunity rich means of expression. The accuracy and technicality of jewellery making were also reasons for choosing jewellery, as well as how the design and manufacture process of the jewelry feels like the right way for the interviewees to express themselves. The starting points for designing and manufacturing jewellery were largely based on the jewellery makers themselves, their values, thoughts, and preferences, both in terms of the materials, themes and the usability of the jewellery. The meanings of touch, creating, self-expression as well as the mental well-being and lifestyle of the jewellery makers came to the fore in the meanings of making jewelry by hand. The professional perspective also emerged, as the focus of the research was on the professional design and manufacture process of jewellery.

Objectives. The aim of this study was to research the reasons of taking a tattoo with a textile craft motive. There are no previous studies available regarding textile craft tattoos. The aim of the survey, and especially the interviews, was to find cultural model narratives. Methods. This study was carried out in two stages: a survey and narrative interviews. The survey was distributed through Internet. The five interviewees for the narrative thematical interviews were found mainly through the survey. This study was a qualitative study, in which I wanted to focus on the individual's thoughts and experiences on textile crafts and tattoos. Results and conclusions. Crafts were an important part of the survey responders' and interviewees' lives, and something that defined them. The tattoo was a mark of that significance. Based on this study, textile crafts is a fairly new subject in tattoos, and there are not much studies made on this subject. Because of this, and the relatively small number of responders, one can not make any generalizations about textile craft -related tattoos based on this study. General tattoo literature, however, confirms that tattoos often have a special significance to the tattooed persons. However, it can be stated that based on this study, the existing literature on women's tattoos and the history of tattoos does not reflect the current reality in Finland.

The subject of the study is Sally E. Dean's Somatic Costumes™ and how they affect actor's performing and the creation of characters. Somatic costumes are costumes which create multi-sensorial experiences for the performer. The aesthetics of the performance is built on the basis of this costume experience. In craft science costumes have been studied mostly from the design's point of view. The purpose of this study is to provide a new perspective on defining costumes in the context of performance. The study aims to explore the experiential and interactive role of somatic costumes in making performances and creating characters. The study is a phenomenological hermeneutical research on experiences. The research data consists of Sally E. Dean's interview and researcher's own experience about Somatic Costumes™. The data was gathered during a three-day workshop called Somatic Movement & Costumes, Creating Characters which was held in Helsinki in autumn 2015. The data was analyzed by inductive content analysis, in which the interview was reflected upon, including the experiences of the researcher in the process. The study shows that multi-sensorial experiences created by Somatic Costumes™ help the performer in generating new kind of movement and character material. Somatic Costumes™ can support the performer's individual artistic expression. Awareness developed in the interaction between the costume and the body may have effects on the interaction with other performers as well as with the environment. However, developing awareness through Somatic Costumes™ requires that the performer acknowledges the costume and seeks an equal relationship with it. In all, Somatic Costumes™ can affect the performer's awareness of oneself and one's body. The knowledge on how Somatic Costumes™ affect performers, the making of performances and the creation of characters can be utilized in performance arts. It's also possible to apply the knowledge on Somatic Costumes™ in user-oriented costume design.

Objectives Target group of this study were the members of KonmariSuomi- group. The group is intended for people who declutter their homes according to what has been taught in Maria Kondo´s books about decluttering. The aim of this study was to find out visions about textile recycling of those who believe in Konmari-method. What is the basis for choosing the next place for the garment and is there enough information about textile recycling available for consumers. In addition, I tried to to find out, what the attitude towards second hand clothing was. The research questions were following: 1.Which factors affect the final disposal target for recyclable garments? 2. Do consumers feel like they know enough about possibilities of recycling clothes? 3.What is the attitude towards buying clothes secondhand? Methods The nature of this study was quantitative and research material was collected trough semi-structured interviews. Target group of this study consists of members in KonmariSuomi-group. Research material was collected by telephone interviews (N=9). The respondents were of different ages and from all over Finland. The Interviews were made by phone just to achieve a large geographical dispersion. Littered interview materials have been analyzed by classifying. The main voices where ways to act in clothing recycling and ways of purchasing clothing. Results and conclusion The most important reasons for decluttering the wardrobe were lack of space and the need to update own clothing. Many of respondenst aim for a more minimalistic wardrobe, hence when something new was purchased, some of the old pieces in the wardrobe were abandoned. The respondents mentioned several types of recycling trails all of which had good and bad sides. Social media seemed to have expanded the recycling potential of clothing. Finding information about clothing recycling was considered challenging and not all ot the information available was trustwothy. In the future, information on clothing recycling should be added and information should be found easily. Selling clothes at the flea market was very common, surprisingly attitude toward buying clothing second hand was often quite negative. Finding clothes from the flea market demanded more effort.

My research focuses on the clothing of the 1940s depression. Because of war, there was a shortage of everything in Finland. Textiles were recycled, renewed and modified imaginatively. In addition, full self-sufficiency in the production of textiles rose as one way of survival. Various organisations offered guidance and advice on textile making. One of these was Kotitalouskeskus, which was the central organisation for several unions who focused on domestic consultation. It was founded in 1941 to combat the material shortage caused by the war. Kotitalouskeskus had stored a variety of the depression time textiles, which were used for teaching and course activities. These textiles were donated to University of Helsinki in the spring of 2014. By studying these sample clothes I aimed to get a general idea of what kind of garments and which materials Kotitalouskeskus advised citizens to produce during the depression time. Depression time textiles had been researched before, but the data had been collected from literary sources and interviews. My study was an object study in historical field. From the 83 donated items I outlined 13 woven adult clothings as my research material. In addition to the clothes, my research data included the booklet Nykyhetken kankaita, published by Kotitalouskeskus, and the annual reports of the organisation published in 1941-1951. Clothes turned out to form an interesting whole. Research material included two skirts, two dresses, one set of overalls, two shirts, five trousers and one jacket. I investigated the clothes using my own modification of the method described by Jules Prown (1982). I began with description and specification of materials and production techniques. Next I researched the literary data for references of the clothes. On the basis of this information, I analysed, how depression was reflected in the clothes chosen for my study. I found out that clothes were made of materials that were on hand. The garment models were in line with fashion of the time. Yarn was homespun, some of it plant dyed and fabric was home-woven. Materials were rough and sometimes of poor quality. Almost every garment was made of sheep's wool and linen. In three of the garments additional substitute materials were used. In two pieces there was cattle hair and one contained rayon. Various extension pieces had been used, in order to get enough fabric for the garment. Quality of work, however, was accurate, sustainable and careful. While the clothes are for demonstration, they are made elaborately. Kotitalouskeskus's aim was to raise self-sufficiency and teach women to cope with a shortage of clothing, while not forgetting the meticulous and tidy dressing.

The purpose of the study is to find out the issues raised by the new handicraft curriculum. How does the Basic Education Curriculum 2014 apply to the teaching of handicrafts and what challenges or opportunities it set for teaching, learning and learning environments. What kind of ways to use handicraft curriculum have been developed by the teachers in their own work. The master's thesis is a continuation of my bachelor's degree, where I interviewed handicraft teachers and examined their opinions regarding the future curriculum. During the research, there was a strong discussion about changes in handicraft education. I wanted to find out why the curriculum causes such a lot of opinions. The purpose of my research is to find out which things make the most recent curriculum difficult and easy to implement The results of previous studies revealed that the handicraft environment and facilities limit the implementation of the new curriculum. The research is done by a method of qualitativity due to the qualitative nature of the re-search. The target group consisted of 165 handicraft teachers from all over Finland. I collec-ted material from an online community discussion forum where handicraft teachers discus-sed handicraft curriculum and how to implement it in practical work. The debate was one academic year. My approach was netnographic and I classified the material through mate-rial-based content analysis and using the methodology using Atlas.ti. The results showed that the handicrafts Curriculum 2014 was implemented in very different ways. The handicraft teachers were at different stages in the introduction of the curriculum. Some handicraft teachers experienced great challenges to realize a new curriculum in practical teaching while others used it successfully. Handicraft teachers proved to be very hard-working, and they did not plan to surrender easily. Handicraft teachers need tools and support to implement the curriculum, and hope for quick improvement in handicrafts facilities. The pupils' poor interest in handicrafts and the challenges posed by work need a quick solution.

Fashion consumption has a big role in our everyday life. The environmental impact of the fashion industry is significant, so it would be important to change our ways of consuming fashion. In this study, I will find out which factors affect people's choices of fashion consumption, especially from the point of view of consumer psychology. I will use the literature and interview material. In addition, I will find out which factors affect the formation of an individual's fashion consumption behavior. In my research, I used an interview as a method of data acquisition. I conducted research interviews in theme interviews. Interviews consisted four 19-36-year-old consumers, who all had slightly different habits regarding fashion consumption. Each interview was about half an hour long. I recorded the interviews and transcribed them into text. After all there was 32 sheets of transcribed text. In the analysis, I first proceeded classification to the entire material and then emphasized to smaller details and search for meanings. Based on literature, important factors behind fashion consumption were the individual's identity, values and attitudes, motivation and needs, and emotional life. These factors were also clearly featured in research interviews. From the basis of both, literature and interviews, it was possible to distinguish factors influencing between the production of fashion and individual factors. Production factors include factors that are not dependent of the individual’s will, such as advertising and marketing, fashion production processes, policy, and access to information. Individual factors, by their name, are, however, closely connected to the individual, such as personality and identity, interests and social relationships. Based on the research results, it seems that the motivation of the individual plays a major role in making consumer choices and in adapting consumer behavior. What matters is whether the individual is motivated externally or internally to consume in a certain way. As Jansson-Boyd (2010, 118) states, those who are internally motivated tend to pursue a certain behavior longer than those who are externally motivated. Therefore, when seeking to change human consumption behavior, it is important to focus on how to motivate consumers internally for sustainable consumption.