Why we make things and why it matters: The education of a craftsman - book overview

 Ebook from local library published 2013

In the vein of Michael Crawford’s ‘Shop class as soul craft’ - see previous blog for summary, Peter Korn uses his life’s journey and experiences to reminisce on becoming and being a craftsman. The book is relatively short. Life experiences are interleaved with his joy and passion when designing and building furniture. See NY Times article for book overview via interview of Korn.

Korn’s parents (father a  lawyer and mother an academic) are surprised at his choice of vocation. He basically falls into woodworking via helping out a carpenter and eventually working on various building projects across the 1960s. The making of a cradle for the christening of one of his friends provides the shift from carpenter to joiner. He documents the many years, trying to make a viable living as a craftsman. Occasionally, he has to seek financial support from his father, who did not understand his son’s interest in manual work.

Korn’s experiences with cancer in mid-life precipitated his decisions to keep going at something he enjoyed and found great satisfaction from. He eventually opens a furniture/woodworking school, the Centre forFurniture Craftsmanship, in Rockport, Maine. Wrote several seminal books onwoodworking.

Video on his work https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zweMkuQc3pU provides insight into his philosophy on life, his journey as a wood craftsman and his passion for the craft. The video also shows his immaculately organised workshop.His work encompasses both the design and  the making of fine furniture.

He writes eloquently about the sociomateriality of woodwork, the need to be attuned to the tools, machinery and materials of his work. In short, a worthwhile read about how working with our hands, provides us with much satisfaction, perhaps difficult to achieve with other forms of work. However, my thoughts are that all work requiring expertise is satisfying. The need to put major effort into attaining expertise, requires persistence and preseverance. Without these, experthood is never full realised. Only when expertise becomes embodied, will continued episodes of 'flow' be engaged with. The intrinsic motivation to reach flow, then leads to a loop of work and aspirations in which flow is encountered regularly. Whilst one is struggling to attain experthood, flow may not be triggered as learning and honing new skills is hard work. It is only on getting to expertise that the routine of work, whether it is manual or cognitive (e.g. problem solving, scholarly/ fiction writing) becomes a joy!

A cultural economic analysis of craft - book overview

This book came through via my Google Scholar alerts. Some of the discussions and material in the book, are relevant to my work on craftsmanship.

The book is edited by A. Mignosa and P. Kotipalli and published recently (2019) by Springer.

Cultural economics studies the contribution of craft to the economy, as well as society at large. Craft work is especially important to the non-industralised sectors of country economies. Craft work often being used by agricultural workers, to augment their income and also to support the longeavity of various cultural, religious and social practices.

The Westernised approach to craft has viewed craft as being inferior to the arts. Whereas in may Eastern countries, craftsmanship is still respected and often treasured as representations of cultural practices.

There are 21 chapters in the book divided into 4 sections.

The introduction by the editors, sets the context. The book sets out to provide examples of the role of cultural economics on understanding and analysing the craft sector. The traditional approaches are discussed, policies to avoid short term effects on craft culture are proposed to help ensure crafts culture is sustainable into the future.

Part 1 – Definitional issues

Defining craft : Hermeuneutics and economy by R. L Brulotte and M. J. R. Montoya. Takes on a qualitative definition. Acknowledging the socio-political-historical origins of viewing craft as an economic problem. Emphases the ‘meaning-making relations between human production, art, and concepts of skill and mastery’. Evaluates the ways craft are defined by various institutions.

Then I. Vencatachellum with ‘UNESCO approach to crafts’. UNESCO was the first UN agency to recognise the socio-cultural and economic role of crafts as the world moved into globalisation. UNESCO views crafts as cultural heritage with the creative industries connected to artisans.

P. Kotipally writes on ‘making sense of craft using cultural economics’ brings the book back to the ‘cultural economics’ aspect. 

Part 2 – policies for craft

The chapter on ‘policies for crafts: rationale and tools’ by A. Mignosa is followed by chapters discussing country contexts.  These are ‘crafts in China’ by L. Jiang;  F. Cominelli with ‘arts and crafts policies: heritage vs economics in France’; T. Fjeldsted with ‘ Handwerk: crafts and trades in Germany’; R. Sethi provides ‘the building of craft policy in India’; followed by K. Goto on ‘craft policies in Japan’; ‘crafts in the Netherlands: from an economic to a value-based perspective’ by M. Hofland-Mol and M. Poortvliet; J. Bennett on ‘craft policies in the UK’ and the last chapter in this section with M. J. R. Montoya on ‘craft: economic policies in the United States 1896-2006.

The next section is on ‘economic issues’ with 4 chapters.

S. Ellis and J. Lo on ‘an economic assessment of Asian crafts’. Then, J. Ballyn with ‘a cultural economic analysis of craft: A view from the workshop of the world’. A.  Chatterjee writes on ‘the invisible giant: economics of artisanal activity in India’. Lastly, S. Ellis with ‘measuring the economics of traditional craft production’

The last section is on ‘future development’, also with 4 chapters.

These are ‘The importance of craft culture’ by A. Klamer;  L. Guiliano with ‘design and craft: the practitioners’ view’; ‘Material is the mother of innovation’ with M. H. G. Kuipers and the last chapter by J. Frater on ‘education for artisans: beginning a sustainable future for craft traditions’.

Overall, the chapters provide another perspective on the importance of craftwork. In particular, the economic contributions accrued from participation in craftwork across different societies. The discussions on the importance of craftwork and their contributions, provide good rationale for the support for understanding how craft skills and learnt and taught.

A practical guide to craftsmanship

Disclaimer, I am cited in this report.

From the prolific pens of Professor Bill Lucas and Dr. Ellen Spenser comes another piece of work commissioned by City and Guilds. This piece of work, focuses on craftsmanship. The website provides a link to the short (33 pages) final report. This report follows on from previous work on how to teach vocational education  which I summarised on this blog a couple of years ago and a more recent report on 'remaking apprenticeship' also commissioned by City and Guilds.

The report begins with an overview of the historical connotations of 'craftsmanship', arguing for whether it is appropriate in contemporary times and whether aspects of being a craftsman springs from expertise or attitude. In short, craftsmanship need not be limited to trade or manual occupations. As per Sennett, (see this blog for summary of the book 'the craftsman'), craftsmanship is an innate human desire to 'do things well'. So craftmanship aspects are desirable in the creative arts, computer programming (notice how many books there are out there on the craft of coding), teaching, health care etc. (see my article on how workplace culture impinges on how apprentices attain craftsmanship traits for discussion on craftsmanship and another on the learning of judgment)

The report is written chiefly for a UK audience - as per the sub-title - creating the craftsmen and women that Britain needs - so the two case studies used may resonate more with an anglo audiences.

The real gem within the report is the section on the pedagogy of craftsmanship - starting on page 11. Here the philosophies (signature dispositions, visible learning), the 3 strands of craftsmanship (learnability, becoming and culture) and challenges and presented and discussed.

Signature dispositions are a slant on signature disciplines - something perhaps still difficult to quantify due to the diversity of contexts in which craftsmanship traits are valued and promoted. An example I often use is from 2011 my study with apprentices in NZ. Glazing apprentices complete their apprenticeship in three distinct work organisations. Domestic glaziers install and fix windows in small buildings, commercial glaziers work with construction companies to install large windows in large buildings often using cranes and abseiling skills, and auto glaziers install vehicle windows. Each is a glazier but with a diverse range of skills pertinent to their work. 

Visible learning is based on the work of Hattie (see this blog for summaries on visible learning for teachers and visible learning and the science of how we learn) - for me, an extension of some of the precepts of cognitive apprenticeship.(see post applying to mobile learning) and aspects of deliberate practice (see summaries from this blog of books 2006, 2009 and critiques).

The table on page 15 provides a good overview of the report's direction, linking the desirable outcome of craftsmanship with the two philosophies of teaching (signature dispositions and visible learning) to dispositions (developing the techniques of persisting, envisioning, expressing, observing, reflecting, risk-taking, and understanding the domain). In turn, connected to the three strands (learnable, becoming and culture) to techniques for teachers. Each of the items in the three strands then discussed with examples and some guidelines.

Page 28 provides recommendations to vocational education teachers on how to go about 'changing your own approach'.

The report than concludes by returning to the discussion on the term 'craftsman' - should it be retained or an alternative sought?

Two pages of pertinent references provide a source for further exploration,

In all, a readable report pitched at practitioners that does not shy away from providing citations to support the concept. The synergy of approaches shown to work in the compulsory school sector and the requirements of industry is one of the strengths of the report. 

The World Beyond Your Head: On Becoming an Individual in an Age of Distraction - book overview

Managed to get hold of Matthew Crawford’s latest book, The world beyond your head: On becoming an individual in an age of distraction, from the local library and work through it over the long weekend.

The book is not for the casual reader. However, Crawford’s weaving of his own experiences to introduce or emphasise the many philosophical points through the book, makes the book more accessible. Hence, the book is a good example of blending some of the rigour of academia into a readable form.

Overview from wall street journal and reviews from the guardian and times higher education are positive and provide summaries of the main argument through the book.

The book has 13 chapters with additional introductory and closing chapters. After the introduction, there are 5 chapters in Part 1 revolving around ‘encountering things’. Then 7 chapters in part 2 centre around ‘other people’. The last chapter, makes up part 3 on ‘inheritance’. Below, my perspectives as I read through the book with 'learning a trade' or attaining expertise in craft, as anchors to my reading.

Introduction:- here the overarching argument of the book is introduced and discussed. There is a need for us to review how we attend to our individual self, despite the prevalent use within our society of various visual and aural stimulus, forcing us to divide our attention and /or continually be pulled from one topic to another through access to an array of options. Finding the time to consider/ think / work through and ruminate is becoming more difficult in a world filled with distractions either of our own making (web browsing) or imposed through the landscape we live in (advertisements). Some activities absorb us sufficiently for our best thinking and application of craft to flourish. In some forms of work, the ‘flow’ takes us on to greater heights of performance. However, can also lead us into the abyss of compulsion and addiction (e.g. gambling).

Part 1 – encountering things

1-      The jig, the nudge and local ecology – Here Crawford uses the concept of a ‘jig’ to illustrate the two ends of the pole of utilising jigs. Jigs are arrangements of tools, materials or spatial organisation to assist the performance of complex tasks. They can be used to enhance work tasks, as per examples provided in carpentry, bar tendering and short order cookery. But sophisticated jigs which can costs large amounts of energy and capital to put in place, can also lead to the ‘mechanisation’ and ‘standardisation’ of job tasks as per assembly line / Mcfood type arrangements.

2-      Embodied perception – uses the seamless relationships hockey players have with their sticks and motorcycle riders to illustrate the concepts of embodied perception. How the body is extended through synergistic attachments to a tool or vehicle. The closer the body to the tool or vehicle, the more the sensory / tactile feedback. Learning to become good in these activities requires time to learn, become accustomed and eventually embodied.

3-      Virtual reality as moral idea – A short chapter, bringing the concepts in the previous two chapters with further examples. In short, the design of things can either assist in forming the embodied relationship between us and tools / equipment / etc. or allow the tool / jig / arrangement to overtake us and cause us to be passive and dependent, completing tasks without thought.

4-      Attention and design – argues more for the need to not take design too far. There is a need for humans to still make decisions. Roads which require our attention to drive along, yield fewer incidences of accidents J whereas roads engineered to allow us to go into auto pilot, may actually be more dangerous.

5-      Autism as a design principle: gambling – uses the gambling industry as an example of how all the mechanisms build into slot machines, are there to entice, excite and eventually to enslave. How our biochemicals can cause us to pander to the needs of the body in ways which lead to fulfilment or decline, depending on the sort of activity we become attracted to.

Part 2 – other people

6-      On being led out – begins discussion on education, the need for social interaction being a key. Uses glass blowing team and the ‘apprenticeship’ of scientist to argue for the need of the relationship between learner and expert. 

7-      Encountering things with other people – basically a call to recognise the socio-culturality of human existence. All of what we take to be ‘independent’ thought, comes through our interactions with others, f2f and through artifacts, social structures etc.

8-      Achieving individuality – So where is the individual placed? This chapter tries to work out where in the bigger picture, the individual fits in. Argues skilled practice is one ‘marker’ recognisable by all, of an individual’s achievements. Therefore, if we become good at doing something, others provide us with accolades leading to cycle of positive reinforcement. For the individual, being good at something provides biochemical injections to cause us to further improve expertise.

9-      The culture of performance – which leads to this chapter on how individual’s show what they are made of. Otherwise, what is the point of doing? 

10-   The erotics of attention – probably the most difficult chapter to work through but persistence pays. In brief, the chapter argues for ways in which individuals may go about to make their mark. Attention is a key requirement, as without attending to what we do, there is no improvement in practice.

11-   The flattening – As a counterpoint to the previous chapter and a lead in to the next, this chapter discusses how individuals represent themselves to others and in turn how they perceive others, in relation to their own attention.

12-   The statistical self – ties up the loose ends in part 2.

Part 3 – inheritance – has the one chapter

13 – the organ makers’ shop – here the work of organ makers is used to support the examples and concepts discussed through the rest of the book. That a group of people have shared values, based on historical associations with an obscure craft, yet manifest strong views of craftsmanship framed by commercial imperatives.

Epilogue, provides a useful overview of the argument and summarises a ‘where to next’.

Overall, there is an need to attend, through the book. Some chapters require a few reads to understand the argument and reply, but each chapter does lead into the next. Several chapters are 'dense' but persistence pays. The book works well as there is a flow from one chapter into the next, so perhaps not a book to dip in and out of, but one which requires attending to :) So, I am happy to have put the time an effort into working through the book and will do a re-read over the summer, to wring out the many messages in the book, pertinent my work.

Jiro dreams of sushi - on obsession and craftsmanship

Watched during the summer break on a 30’C day. Trailer on vimeo here and review here. The documentary is about the famous sushi restaurant that has earned 3 michelin stars. The documentary focuses on the patriach and owner, now 85,Jiro has made sushi for 75 years

Summary and notes taken while watching the video:

Hard work to achieve craftsmanship. Talent helps but is hard work that gets you there.

Obsession and continual self-criticism are the hallmarks of achieving perfection.  

Not only making sushi but selecting the raw ingredients (tuna) and there is a segment of the video on the rituals associated with tuna auction

Continued learning even when working with 'one' menu item after 70 years or fishmonger selling fish 40 – 50 years. Summarised as shokunin in context of the video – the Japanese concept of being perfectionists.

10 years apprenticeship!  Beginning with preparing hot towels and only after 10 years, will you be allowed to prepare eggs for the omelet - used as a dessert item in the restaurant. 200 omelettes before success – with others binned. Path to perfectionism is not easy or fast!

Much cannot be described in words, just need to keep practicing. For example, sushi nigiri hand moulding. There is much that is tactile and sensory - smell and feel are all important.

Apprentice prepare the staff meals, as a way to learn, critique and evaluate senior apprentices work. Only master prepares sushi for customers.

Development of palate just as important as physical skills – sushi staff eat well to learn quality

Experts on fish (selection by working tuna flesh in hands while illuminating with a torch), rice – the best rice is difficult to prepare and cook.

Each ingredient brought to perfection through preparation, cooking technique, seasoning and treatment before assembly with rice.

Customers book one month ahead and pay minimum of 300,000 yen per sitting (NZ$370 - $390) – with service around 30 minutes. For about 16 - 20 pieces of sushi

Preparation is key, 95% of sushi making is in the preparation, not the assembly

At the end discusses issues of sustainability – of the seafood and of the apprenticeship system.

Overall, a gentle documentary, of one person's pursuit of excellence. The Japanese approach to work is well encapsulated and overall, provides an interesting study of how societies' expectations mould individual's responses. Also a good representation of how apprenticeship learning is perceived in some societies and the acceptance of both master and apprenticeship of their roles in the entire enterprise. Worth a watch just for the food photography but also as a record of a way of life, now perhaps less common. 

Professor Trevor Marchand - on craft, craftmanship and craftpeople

I have been keeping an eye on Professor Trevor Marchand’s on-going scholarship on learning a craft. While in Singapore a couple of weeks ago, I caught up on various publications archived on his webpage which includes videos summarising his work.

There is a video of his inaugural professorial lecture: The pursuit of pleasurable work: An anthropology of craft and craftspeople plus a shorter lecture discussing craft knowledge, learning and apprenticeship. The video of his inaugural lecture as a professor covers the work he undertook when he enrolled as a student of woodwork / furniture making. The shorter video summarises the focus of his work to date.

Some publications listed are available for download. Marchand's anthropological studies provides evidence of the socio-materiality and socio-cultural-political dimensions of craft work and of how apprenticeship learning contributes to the learning of crafts which often have scant verbal vocabulary to describe specific physical actions, approaches and problem solving strategies. 

The boat that guy built - TV series with examples of trades / craft work

A couple of months ago, I happened on the first episode of the programme, ' The boat that Guy built' on Choice TV. It was on a very warm January Sunday (or Saturday) evening  while also recovering from a very hot day’s tramping. Otherwise, it’s usually the time I walk the dog or water the garden. I have only had access to Choice TV since putting in a Freeview box (end of November) to access digital TV channels (entire South Island goes digital end of this week). Channel surfing over the Christmas break found some interesting programmes on Choice TV, so this has been the channel to check out whenever I do sit in front of the TV with ipad on to read books or check out favourite websites and blogs.

The 2011 series was produced by BBC TV and all 6 episodes can be downloaded through the BBC site. The series revolves around the restoration of a ‘long’ canal boat in the UK by a personable presenter, Guy Martin and his friend (a carpenter), Mark Davies (aka Mave). Through the series, various notable inventions and industries from the Britain’s industrial age are introduced. The general plot is for Guy to make various necessities to get his boat going. This requires Guy to consult and learn from various craft and trades experts. Observations are made of a range of craft / trade skills usually not accessible to lay people. 

In episode one, Guy makes a tea cup (actually a wedgewoodmug) and a kettle (a pot) to make tea, a requirement for any type of work activity. Guy learns how to shape a mug on a pottery wheel and mould figures to put on to the side of his mug. He also helps to make a blast furnace to smelt iron ore to cast the pot. In each of these activities, he is ‘taught’ by experts and there are good examples of how experts ‘show’ novices their ease with the tools and materials of their craft.

Since then, I have managed to miss every episode L. Sunday evenings are just too good to ‘waste’ sitting in front of the TV. However, all not lost as all the episodes archived on the BBC site. My only challenge was to find the time to view some of them.  The opportunity arose yesterday, the first really wet weekend in about 4 months!  I watched (intermittently while minding some baking and cooking) episodes 3 (a good night’s sleep) and 4 (beans on toast).  Both suitably interesting, with episode three visiting a mattress manufacturer. One of the workers shows how to put on the layers of a mattress which required not only dexterity but attuning to the range of materials used.

Took me most of the time 'viewing' episode 3 to work out the best place in the kitchen to set up the ipad. So that I could view the programme while also chopping, stirring and keeping watch on pots on the stove and baking in the oven. Sound was also an issue so will need to see if I can get my son to work out how to hook the ipad up to a mini speaker system. Otherwise, might need to stick to catching up on podcasts (on ipod touch and earphones) when in the kitchen.

There is a follow up series in 2012 of sorts called ‘how Britain worked’. It might run on Choice TV in the future so will keep an eye out for it.The series is a good change from the run of 'reality TV' dished out on NZ public TV. The range consisting mainly of people aspiring to become chefs or people trying to lose weight or talent shows. Showing a range of real occupations,even though we only get a very small glimpse,provides the general public with a sense of the craftmanship inherent in various trades and the time and effort required to learn trade skills.

Shop class as soul craft - book summary

Crawford, M. (2009). Shop class as soul craft: An inquiry into the value of work. New York, NY: Penguin Books.

Worked through this book in greater detail over the last few days. Second hand book in pristine condition purchased through Amazon, taking about a month to arrive in NZ, just in time for summer weekend when it was too hot to do much gardening or walk in the hills.

I had borrowed the book from the library and browsed through the book when it was first released. This time a good opportunity to read the book in greater depth.  Here are notes taken, summarising each chapter of book.

Introduction provides background on the decline of ‘shop class’ in the U S of A and Crawford’s thesis that the manual occupations are still important in contemporary life due to our reliance on large numbers of material goods. People who make, maintain and repair things are now more important than ever (as per $$ we pay plumber to unblock drains) and yet the education system puts its main emphasis into preparing ‘knowledge workers’.

1.       A brief case for the useful arts. Here the discussion revolves around how manual work can be fulfilling and requiring use of both bodily and cognitive skills. Plus an argument on how some forms of work in the trades, cannot be ‘outsourced’. So American workers in occupations that can be accomplished remotely (accounting, IT, call centres etc. ) may be more at risk to job restructure than builders / carpenters and joiners who build houses.

2.       The separation of thinking from doing. An overview of how thinking and doing has been seen to be either white or blue collar. Some white collar work is now similar to ‘assembly line’ work and some blue collar requires high levels of adaptability and innovation.

3.       To be a master of one’s own stuff. In this chapter, the argument for work to allow individual agency is presented. Plus some history on the development of motorcycles (and cars) from being fixable by the ‘amateur’ to being difficult for even mechanics to get into.  How society has moved from individuals being able to rectify their own tools / appliances / vehicles to machinery becoming so complex (and relatively cheap to replace) has removed individual’s choice to fix and re-use. Yet, it is more satisfying for humans to have input (using cake mix example – all in product does not sell as well as a product that requires the addition of an egg).

4.       The education of a gearhead. The chapter traces Crawford’s development as a mechanic His first experiences as an apprentice in an automotive workshop where he did the boss’s housekeeping before being allowed to clean engine parts. And reflections on learning the complexities of automotive engineering from mentors, mistakes, dwelling on problems, development of individual understanding and knowledge base.

5.       The further education of a gearhead: from amateur to professional. Here Crawford describes his on-going learning as a motor cycle mechanic and self-employed business owner. How he learns on the job by undertaking difficult work on obscure, older models of motor cycles. How he undercharges as some of the jobs take effort to work through beyond what would seem to be commercially viable charge out rates.

6.       The contradictions of the cubicle. Provides examples of some of his ‘knowledge worker’ jobs and how some have become production line orientated, as per his work indexing and abstracting articles, or without clear outputs that lead to job satisfaction (work in a ‘think tank’).

7.       Thinking as doing. Provides arguments and examples of how manual work involves many aspects of having to also use large amounts of brain power. How practical know how is difficult to pin down. Examples include fire fighters’ ‘sixth sense’, common sense and tacit knowledge in automotive trouble shooting (lubricant or air to clean spark plug based on recent weather  activity or if sand is found around the vehicle), the role of being able to ‘ask the right question’ in problem solving, deciphering archaic and poorly translated vehicle repair manuals.

8.       Work, leisure and full engagement. How leisure and work may be complementary. Also how many people now work to earn $$ to indulge in activities that feed their soul. Perhaps some forms of manual work may both earns $$ and be fulfilling.

Concluding remarks on solidarity and self reliance: Summarises the argument – to have a trade skill means having solidarity with other trade workers in the same field (understanding a common language / ethos and practising skills), being attuned to learning from mistakes / failure and yet taking individual responsibility for one’s on-going learning and improvement.

The notes themselves make interesting reading, some revealing Crawford’s personal history, others filling in on the specialist knowledge of motor cycle repair and overviews of various philosophical approaches. The style of writing is readable without being condescending to the reader.

The return of 'making'

Summer holiday reading included a couple of books on the return of ‘making’. Firstly, a book published in the UK by the Crafts Council, edited by D. Charny (2011) called ‘power of making: the importance of beingskilled’ and a book by C. Anderson (editor for Wired Magazine) called ‘Makers: Thenew industrial revolution (kindle version 2012).

Both extol the return to making. Humans evolved as makers of things. The industrial revolution shifted manufacturing into mass production, removing many artisanal , small /family owned businesses. Specialised craft skills and craftsmanship approaches have been lost as a result of the ‘material’ society whereby all products are ‘mass-produced’ / manufactured and purchased from retailers. A similar theme explored in other books, including Sennett’s ‘the craftsman’ and Crawford’s ‘shop class as soul craft’.

Now, it is possible for designers to manufacture their own product through using open source / crowd sourced software / hardware, ability to tap in to specialised manufacturers for components / parts and access to the ‘long tail’ of the market demand curve.  Specialists products / bespoke / individualised items now attainable. Rapid prototying using 3D printers and crowdsourcing lowers time for product development. Availability / democratising of hardware also assist the process. In the Makers book, Anderson compares the example of his grandfather, who invented a system to set up automatic / timed lawn watering. Anderson’s grandfather had great difficulty finding a manufacturer and then keeping control of the quality of the product. In contrast, Anderson himself set up a business that designed, assembled and sold radio-controlled  or robot helicopters. The process evolved quickly, with design and software development in US of A, parts sourced via internet, website took care of sales, just-in time manufacture in Mexico and delivery via the extensive courier / mail delivery system we now all take for granted. Development of hardware and software was completed with a mixture of open-source, crowd-source and mashing, leveraging on global intellectual minds of enthusiasts and specialists. 

Therefore, there is now greater need for skill sets that include conceptualisation of the ‘entire’ making from notion, to design process, to testing and production. The focus of the ‘crafts person’ has also shifted - a book reviewer who is also a cabinet maker details how his business now works. Customised kitchen cabinets etc. are ordered from specialist manufacturers who put together these components using CNC machines. Delivery time 24 hours. Then a need for craftsmanship skills (Pye’s - craftsmanship of risk) to fit the cabinets into kitchens where walls, floors and ceilings are not always guaranteed to be square. So focus has changed from skill sets required to manufacture to problem solving required to work through real-world challenges. Another example of how not all types of work can be ‘outsourced’.  Production of cabinet components may be mass produced but installation still needs to occur in-situ. Therefore, training of young trades people need to account for work skills now required plus include generic skills to learn new technology / new skill sets as the market evolves. 

The Craftsman by Richard Sennett

At home this afternoon due to the first snow of this winter closing CPIT. Got to work just after eight through heavy snow on my side of town. Mostly wet in town but then the snow started to really thicken and settle. CPIT closed just after 9.30am so made our way very slowy home. Still snowing this afternoon and about 10 cm in the garden. Therefore, a good opportunity to do my weekly blog.

Over the long weekend, (Queen's birthday with Monday as a public holiday) and re-read Richard Sennett's book The Craftsman. I have dipped in and out of the book several times and used relevant portions in my dissertation, in particular definitions of craftsmanship and the premise that all of us are craftsman, both in our personal (as parents, homecooks, gardeners) and work (not only trade based but professions and examples in the book with computer programmers) lives.

The kindle version of the book on my ipad is now well bookmarked and had copious notes of parts that are pertinent to several projects I am currently working on. I have also highlighted about a dozen other readings/books to follow up, so the weekend reading has been fruitful.

The book moves through 3 sections, craftsmen, craft and craftmanship. In the craftsmen section, four chapters cover the historical conceptions of craftsmanship and provides examples of ancient (weaving) and modern (linux programming) of the existence of craftsmanship. The decline of respect for trades craftsmanship through the industrial revolution is also traced. In this section, the main line of argument is that we should still maintain our sense of craftmanship. Losing aspects of craftsmanship like continual working towards quality whether a plumber or a surgeon, means we lose some of our humanity. Of importance is the need to retain the craftsmanship mindset, so that we are conscious of the impact of technology,tools and machines on the way we do and conceptualise. The example provided is the advent of computer aided design (CAD) in architecture whereby architects become enamoured by the call of design but forget that their creations have to fit into a certain geographical context with weather/climate that impact on the eventual human interaction with the buildings.

The second section concentrates of the importance of the hand in how humans relate to their world. The chapter 'the hand' summarises psychological, ethnographical and sociological approaches to understanding how the had works and the hands contribution to 5 dimensions of human endeavour. 4 are identified by Raymond Tallis, as anticipation, contact, language cognition and reflection and a fifth being values developed by highly skilled hands. Learning music is used as the example in how the hand contributes to how we understand ourselves, communicate with others and form and then explain our conceptualisations. In chapter 6, 'expressive instructions', 3 versions of written recipes are used to explain how trying to explain how to debone a chicken, is about having to unpack how we use our hands. It would have been good to have these recipes in the appendices. However, the example used is apt.

The last section concludes as a call for the need to respect quality-driven work. Human drive for continual improvement needs to be nurtured through the education system. Current work organisation practice makes it difficult for craftmanship to be practiced. The book is a call for better suuport of an innate human desire. If carefully sponsored, might be a way for humankind to better meet the big challenges, many of them environmental issues that will affect all of us one way or other in the near future.