Meaning-Making-Mattering: Life and Learning at the intersection of Cultural Traditions and Emerging Technologies

• In Event: Inclusion, Identity, and belonging

Proposal

Globalization, rapid technological development, and digitalization may enable cost-effective trade, innovation and production but challenge traditional crafting communities, e.g., through mass production, and providing goods at lower cost. Traditional craftsmanship, considered an intangible cultural heritage (hereafter called ICH), faces several threats (UNESCO, 2003), one being the weakened practice and transmission, partly due to diminishing youth interest, aged practitioners, and hampered transmission of tacit knowledge. In Norway, 40 traditional crafts are threatened by lack of students and apprentices. Norwegian Vocational Education and Training (hereinafter called VET) prepares students and apprentices for formal- and self-employment. In autumn 2020, a new VET-structure was implemented, and new curricula developed. The revised curriculum for Crafts, Design and Product development (hereafter called CDP) contains 3 core elements: crafts & materials; shape, function & product development; cultural heritage & innovation (Directorate of Education and Research, 2020), highlighting the importance of curiosity, creativity, and critical reflection on current practices, and the ability to use digital resources in an appropriate manner; furthermore, it considers experiences with traditional craftmanship highly relevant for safeguarding and development of craft traditions, innovation, and sustainable production. In traditional crafting communities, the use of new, digitalized technology (hereinafter called NT) may be controversial. However, NT applied in an appropriate manner, may facilitate safeguarding and sustainable production. Safeguarding of ICH has great social and economic value, is important to maintain cultural diversity in society, and to secure resources for generations to come (UNESCO, 2003). Despite an increased focus on cultural heritage & innovation in CDP, little is known about practices in apprenticeships, succeeding CDP. Hence, the exploratory project, VERLICHT asks: How do apprentices experience life and learning at the intersection of cultural traditions and emerging technologies, and engage in safeguarding and development of traditional crafts? Aiming to illuminate current practices and co-create new knowledge which can ease safeguarding and development of craft traditions, innovation, and sustainable production. The hypothesis being, that these apprentices have developed unique competences, which society needs, to find solutions to (previously mentioned) challenges.

VERLICHT applies a transdisciplinary framework and critical perspective, to develop concepts and theories, and produce new knowledge. The theoretical framework develops over time, through field work and analysis, relating to research design and research questions.
Qualitative, multimodal, and creative research methods (Kara, 2020) enabled participants to contribute and engage in reflexivity, and as a result, allowed the study of phenomena from an insider perspective. Purposeful sampling was used to recruit participants by e-mail, amongst apprentices from forementioned Norwegian traditional crafts. All 11 participants (age 18-37, 6 males, 5 females) provided informed consent and partook in individual, thematic and photo-elicited interviews (each lasting approximately 1 hour). This allowed sharing of, and elaborating on, personal experiences and artefacts (drawings, design, blueprints, work in progress or final products, objects, photos, re-presenting them and/or their traditional craft). In addition, 8 participants joined focus-groups (lasting approximately 1-2 hours): rural (ZOOM meeting, age 18-37, 3 males, 1 female) or urban (Meeting in office, age 20-27, 1 male, 3 females). This facilitated discussions of challenges and opportunities for safeguarding and development of traditional crafts. Both interviews and focus-groups were recorded and transcribed, artefacts described. These, combined with fieldnotes, became illustrated narratives, which were coded, categorized, analyzed thematically, and studied through different theoretical lenses (e.g., Stolz, 2015; Mezirow & Taylor; 2010, Brown, 1971).

Rather than providing one specific outcome, VERLICHT provides a kaleidoscope of opinions on life and learning in traditional crafts. Though most findings are as expected (regarding experiences with traditional craftmanship, and motivation to safeguard and develop craft traditions) two findings are surprising: 1) Traditionally, apprentices start vocational training (at age 18 or 19) after 2 years of vocational education. In VERLICHT, 5 out of 11 participants pursued an academic career (ranging from bachelor to PhD fellowship) before choosing traditional crafts (at age 23-37). 2) Another surprising finding is the participants’ motivation to become a professional crafter (despite low status, compared to professional artists), to do something meaningful, matter, and make a living of being creative. Considering the ongoing analysis, more detailed findings will be presented and discussed at the CIES 2025 Conference.

Norwegian VET prepares students and apprentices for formal- and self-employment. At school, students are expected to gain knowledge, develop skills and values. At work, apprentices are expected to apply these and, through active engagement, develop a deeper understanding of one’s professional identity and contribution to sustainable development and production. VERLICHT invited participants (representing rare, traditional crafts, considered a marginalized group in VET and society in general), to engage in reflexivity and explore their life and learning in traditional crafting communities. They provided an insider perspective on current practices and enabled co-creation of new knowledge. In Educational Science, scholars tend to study school-related topics (e.g., classroom behavior) instead of work-related topics (e.g., apprentices’ experiences). Hence, VERLICHT is considered highly relevant, for educational scholars and others interested in life and learning in creative communities, recruitment, safeguarding and development of craft traditions, innovation, sustainable production, and cultural diversity.

Author

• Jeanine van Halteren, OsloMet - storbyuniversitetet