KAREN TINNEY - STRATEGIES

10/12 IN-CLASS ASSIGNMENT

Hypothesis: American consumption of objects of the interior (house wares, and furniture) is both a direct reflection of our culture. However, unbeknownst to the consumer, many of these objects that are purchased are not manufactured in this country. The choices that we make as consumers and as designers/makers directly affect the lives of people in rural manufacturing communities as we move into a post-industrial society. 

Fundamental Truth/Assumption:

Manufacturing in rural communities is on the decline.

Consumers care about the objects that they produce but not about how they affect the maker or the greater cultural dynamic/economy 

Groups to test hypothesis: Random/Large body of consumers, Factory workers, People manufacturing in America, Groups specializing in coping with our post-industrial society 

What information would support argument? Who has it? How will you extract it?

Statistics/facts on unemployment and manufacturing: Book/journal research, reading and contacting the experts 

Consumer practices of consumption and proof of apathy towards product origin: American buyers, surveys/questionnaires of as many people/age groups as possible. 

Why America? Benefits of local manufacturing: Sandy Chilewich, interviews 

Revitalization of post-industrial society – HOW-TO: EPA Brownfield Project directors, interviews 

How can these groups be reached?

The easiest way to reach these groups is via email. The experts I will need to call/set up personal interview with later. 

3 Strategies:

General consumer survey to feel out opinions/object experience

Factory worker survey/phone interviews to gain an understanding of factory life/needs/wants

Email experts telling them of my interests and asking them for their story.

PEOPLE WHO HAVE AN INTEREST IN MY ISSUE: 

Factory workers: rely on skill-based jobs to keep them out of unemployment/poverty

Factory owners: rely on designers and corporations for investment/confidence in American manufacturing for their well being. Ability to become competitive in the world market.

American Designers: manufacturing in the United States helps them to have greater control over their products by being able to communicate closely with the factory.

Consumers: support their town/county/state/country through the purchase of reliable goods – feel the benefit of the product and of their economic impact

Citizens of Manufacturing Towns: better public funding through the taxes that factories provide to the local economy

Children in Manufacturing Towns: better education, more opportunities due to revenue created by the local factory

Educators in Manufacturing Towns: tax money from factories jobs/funds to teach and empower the youth of the community

Municipal Workers in Manufacturing Towns: tax money from factories provides jobs/funds to create public spaces/beautify the community and make it a destination/comfortable and desirable place to live

Factories in other countries: drive to become more competitive; raise the bar of technology and treatment of workers through American precedent. 

RESEARCH PLAN

      The major piece of information that I need to find is why is manufacturing in America not happening? Or more accurately, why do people think it is not happening and therefore do not invest in it. I need to first discover what peoples’ preconceptions of American manufacturing are, and then find out the facts (ie. what do people think is still being made here and what actually is still being made here?). To find this out I will be talking to American companies that either manufacture in America or export their products to other countries. I will ask what the benefits are and what it has done for their specific business. I will then be able to assess what American manufacturing is suitable for and where it can benefit the American designer.

      On the other side of this issue, I must talk to consumers of the goods that I’m interested in. I have already begun to conduct a survey of the items that people use daily and associate closely with themselves. I am looking to see if there is any relationship between then objects that people see as apart of themselves and their cultural heritage. I would like to continue to talk to people to find out if they know where their objects come from, if they care, and how it might change their buying patterns. Through the synthesizing of these responses I will be able to assess were I can intervene in the buying process and think about where and if American made products are important to the consumer.

      I would also like to talk to factory workers in order to gain an understanding of their perspective, which thus far I have only read about. I think it is important to see what these people want to be doing. Do they want to be working in factories or is it just a job? What are the real needs of these communities? How does a historically industrial community deal with the symptoms of a post-industrial society? Identifying these needs will help me to figure out where my intervention will lie. Is it in the community? Is it at the consumer level? Is it at the design level? Or is it all three. Where are the areas that I can use my resources to make an impact?

      Finally, I need to find out how the revitilization of post-industrial America is already underway. I plan to contact the EPA to get information on their Brownfields project. What can be done in these communities and what do they need most?

TOOLS FOR RESEARCH:

PROGRESS: I have begun to conduct research pertaining to my topic. First, in the last week I have contacted Sandy Chilewich for an interview. She answered my questions on manufacturing in America and has agreed to answer any future questions I might have. In the next few weeks I plan to continue to interview designers who are or are not manufacturing in the United States. The next person is a contact from Barney's, who recently moved manufacturing of store fixtures overseas.

I also began to conduct a survey of consumers to find out what objects they use daily, consider important, and consider reflections of themselves - and whether they know the country of origins for those products. I must now find a way to synthesize and evaluate this information and draw a conclusion that will be helpful to my thesis research. Here is one page from my survey results:

Finally, I have really begun to try to map out where my interests are. Here is a messy mind map of what I am thinking of right now. Out of this mind map I have deduced the following ideas for what to explore next: How do designers help us define ourselves and how do our countries products help us to define ourselves? How are materials indicative of use/place? How do consumer choices affect us all? How must we deal with what we have built and how can we embrace this condition (the products of a post-industrial society)? Can we make America once again a competitive manufacturing country by making smart use of our resources? Is there a place for regional/cultural solutions in America (i.e. how can we mine into specialized towns/communities such as the textile communities of the Southeast)?