Urban Children Crafting (Making) at Home: Overlooked Intergenerational Funds of Knowledge

• In Event: 66.034 - The Design of Making Environments

Abstract

The Maker Movement provides exposure to emerging technologies (e.g., 3D printers) and restores do-it-yourself (DIY) production of the 1950s with longstanding crafting practices including sewing or scrapbooking. Though “making” became popular in school and out-of-school learning, little is known about existing intergenerational home crafting practices of non-dominant urban families. By illuminating home production and interest-driven learning, educators could synergistically leverage that knowledge to connect home, schools, and communities. Survey responses of 52 children from a Midwestern urban community and inductive thematic analysis of 20 interviews illustrate that parents and extended family members, especially grandparents, uncles, and aunts, to a notable degree co-create, demonstrate, encourage, and support children’s developing identities as producers rather than consumers while crafting in the home.

Authors

• Kylie A. Peppler, Indiana University - Bloomington

• R. Mishael Sedas, Creativity Labs