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.

Work-based learning as a pathway to competence-based education - overview of 'report'

Read this over the weekend. A 'report' / book compiled by UNEVOC on Workbased learning and competency based education.

The report is edited by A. Bahl and A. Dietzen and published earlier this year.

There are 18 chapters collated into 5 parts. Also included are a foreword, introduction and a closing chapter on 'prospects'. Chapters are written by international VET scholars, each of whom brings their national context into the milieu.

Brief summaries of chapters follow:

Part 1 – Setting the frame for a global perspective on learning

Begins with S. Billett’s overview of his work – ‘securing occupational capacities through workplace experiences: premises, conceptions and practices’. The chapter is a good summary of Billett’s work. The central concepts underpinning his work are summarised. In particular, his work on workplace constituted curriculum, the pedagogy of workbased learning and the types of knowledge learnt at work are presented.

Continues with M. Mulder on ‘the global need for competence: competence-based VET and implication for policy and practice’. This chapter summarises the precepts of competency-based VET. The historical origins, CBT structures and characteristics and the theoretical approaches underpinning CBT are also provided.

Part 2 - conducive factors for learning on the level of the individual subject and work environment.

Chapter with A. Fuller and L. Unwin provide an application of their expansive framework with ‘improving workplace capacity as the prerequisite for effective work-based learning: a co-production approach’. Champions the need for both workplaces and workplace learning providers, to work together to create more meaningfully useful programmes. The expansive – restrictive framework is used to assist in shifting workplaces with limited workplace opportunities towards ones with more affordances for workplace learning.

Then C. Harteis on ‘supporting learning at work in an era of digitalisation of work’. Emphasises the importance of cognition, motivation to learn and emotion in ensuring workers are assisted to become prepared for the future of work. There is a need to explore the impacts on work transformation and to better prepare workplaces and workers.

Followed by S. Velten and A. Schnitzler on ‘assessing work-based learning in German dual VET from the apprentices’ perspective – the development of an inventory’. A questionnaire, developed to assess the quality of work-based training is presented in this chapter.

Part 2 – Curriculum development for work-based learning schemes

A Chinese contribution from Z. Zhao and Y. Shen on ‘striving for competence: China’s way of work-based learning curriculum development for VET institutions’. Describes the Chinese experience of adapting VET systems from other countries e.g. DACUM, dual apprenticeships and a way forward to find a distinct ways which fits in with the socio, cultural, political and historical contexts presented by the challenges distinct to China.

Then G. Spottl and G. Loose on ‘conducting work-process analysis for the development of advanced detailed curricula’. Details the work-process analysis methodology whereby instructors and workplace experts, collaborate to design flexible programmes and learning approaches.

Followed by B. A. Ogwo on ‘global perspectives and trends in work-based learning of TVET programmes in sub-Sahara Africa’. The informal economy is a challenge not just particular to Africa. The chapter discusses how to best support this informal, community-based learning approach without destroying it’s efficacy. The support of a range of work-based learning approaches is presented in this chapter.

B. N. Ezekoye on ‘integrating gender issues into work-based learning programmes of higher education and Nigeria’. Guidelines are presented towards assisting women to enrol in male-dominated programmes.

This section closes with chapter by A. Akoojee on ‘work-based learning in, and for, the informal economy: an African perspective’. Argues for the need of the formal learning sector to better understand the contributions made by the informal sector. In particular, how learning occurs in the informal sector and how this may inform better pedagogical approaches in the formal sector.

Section 4 – the role of tutors, fellow workers, and instructors in work-based learning

C. Jacinto and J. Pozzer on ‘work-based learning as a concept “under-construction”: evidence from two internships schemes in Argentina’. Compares two types of work-based learning programmes, each overseen by a different government body. Argues for the need for both these to be more collaborative and to undertake dialogue as the challenges are similar.

Then A. Bahl with ‘workplace training as social practice: How trainers experience the structural dynamics of German apprenticeship’. Collates the perspectives of trainers, their beliefs and narratives to better understand the dynamics of workplace based learning and training.

P. Rushbrook contributes ‘embedded research and learning at, for, and through work in Singapore’. Uses two studies to illustrate the situatedness of work-based and workplace based learning. Learning opportunities are influenced by occupations, work conditions and the personal motivations of the learner.

R. Harris with the last chapter in this section on ‘enhancing work-based learning: different ‘trainer’ roles, different types of guidance?’ Draws on three studies to present details on the support availed to workplace learners and these are influenced by personal, organisational and sector characteristics.

Part 5 – Boundary crossing: transfer and recognition of knowledge, skills and competence.

Begins with N. Kersh on ‘learning from knowledge transfer and recontextualisation of experiences in the context of workplace learning: insights from the UK’. The experiences of Further Education (FE) teachers are studied to provide better understanding of how people who have occupational expertise, ‘transfer’ these skills and continually ‘boundary cross’ between the occupational and the pedagogical.

Then, L. Nieuwenhuis, A. Hoeve, W. Kuijer and A. Peeters with ‘ bridging demands on education, innovation and practice-based research: the case of Dutch vocational and professional education’. Presents a model to assist students to move between the boundaries of work and higher education.

Last chapter in the section with C. Bose, A. Dietzen and C. Eberhardt on ‘challenges of formalising the informal in German VET – validation, certification and recognitions of competences’. Details approaches for people, without vocational qualifications, to enter into Germany’s tightly bound occupational systems. Offers three approaches, two of which are to support better recognition of prior and current skills and the third is to provide accelerated training to meet occupational certification requirements.

The final chapter is by B. Chakouri on ‘work-based learning: a research agenda for new policy challenges’. Proposes the need to support on-going research to ensure the sustainable development of workplace learning contexts.

Creativity - a human skillset

Creativity does not get much attention in vocational education. Competency based outcomes often discount the input of creativity as the need to quantify aspects of aethestics or 'taste' is difficult. Many trade occupations require learners to attain creativity in their practice. The most obvious being chefs, hairdressers, florist and joiners.

I came across this article via my Google Scholar alerts this morning. The duality of a pastry chef discusses the need for pastry chefs to be both creative and also technically strong in the knowledge of baking sciences and the manual skills required to work with a range of organic materials (i.e chocolate, sugar). The article uses interviews (through the research method of portraiture) to try to understand how top pastry chefs create desserts and showpieces. The participants were all members of the Malaysian pastry chef team. This year, the Malaysian team won the Coupe de Monde, the world pastry competitions.

The article is published in a new journal from the Events and Tourism Institute at Indiana University. The Institute's research area have a strong slant towards events and tourism management.

Humanics - a way to robot proof your career

Here is an interesting article from the BBC - recommending several ways to ensure your career is 'robot proofed'.

The article summarises the usual future of work scenario with between 9 to 47% of work to be automated.

Accounting and low skilled production line type jobs are the most vulnerable. Some jobs thought to be safe due to its variety, are still at risk. For example, the openning of an all robot run restaurant in China. This hot pot restaurant opened late last year.

The article defines humanics as technical ability, data discipline to navigate the see of information generated by machines and human discipline. Also includes creativity, cultural agility, empathy, ability to take information from one context and apply it to another. 

Recommends education is a key with less classroom, more experiential learning as the half life of a skill was 26 years a generation ago, now it is 4 ½ years! There is still too much focus on 4 year undergraduate courses at university. Interdisciplinary studies should be encouraged.

Therefore, future-proofing your career is less about picking a safe job and more about constantly updating your skills throughout your career.