Hypothesis:
In this new age of digital technology, consumer are so far removed from the manufacturing process that they lack the understanding of where the products they buy come from and how they are produced. This could be better summed up in a quote from Miguel Gomez Ibanez, President of the North Bennet Street School in Boston, "As we become disillusioned with technological improvements and we see that we are more and more disconnected with the way things are made and the processes, we are more able to understand the loss of culture and the knowledge that is imbedded in hand made things." This separation from physical creation, from expression through creation, at some point limits what we are able to create and how we conceptualize building and design.To gather more information on this topic, I would like to talk to or survey consumers at big box stores, such as Ikea and Target, as well as consumers at more upscale stores like DWR or Alessi, so gauge the disconnect between manufacturer and consumer. I would also like to speak to the manufacturers of some of these products to get their take on manufacturing in the US, or more importantly the outsourcing of manufacturing. And then the last group I would like to speak with would be Anthropologists and craftspeople. The true craftsperson seeks to understand the history of their craft, and at some point becomes an expert on it, similar to the way an anthropologist could be an expert on a particular subject.
The information I would need to guide me in narrowing down who to talk to would be statistics about manufacturing in the US, along with job losses and outsourcing, along with the decline of funding for art in the education system and drop out rates. All this information could possibly be found through the Bureau of Labor Statistics. I would also like to look into the cultural shifts in America from the man-made era or pre-industrial to the industrial and to where we are now, in this digital era.
I think it would be interesting to talk to consumers about the material and process aspects of production to gauge their understanding, as well as their take on the origins of materials and traditional tools used in the past to create some of the same products they are buying. i also think it is vital to understand the history of both manufacturing and tool making in America, in order to have a tighter grasp on where these elements could go in the future. This could involve traditional research as well as field studies, such as visiting and interviewing craftspeople in the area, or exploring techniques used by craft minded groups of the past, like the Shakers. And lastly, a more academic understanding of all of these elements could help shape my thesis, be it speaking with American historians or cultural anthropologists.
Stake-holders:
Consumers-With the rise of the educated consumer and a shift towards being "green" consumers are understanding that they are part of both the problem and the solution when it comes to large political and cultural problems in America.
Craftspeople
-As I personally have seen in the last year, many of Americas truly great and home-grown craftsmen are beginning to succumb to their age. The popular ones are able to write books and have people interview them, but he others would still like to pass on their craft.
CEO's of large corporations
-The pressure to behave more responsibly with their companies money and businesses is forcing them to take a look at how they treat their employees and their relationships within the greater American system.
Unemployed
-With unemployment rising steadily, many workers who used to work at desks are looking for something more rewarding in their job and in their life.
American companies who have outsourced
-Similar to the CEO above, the companies founded and grown in America who have since outsourced their production and manufacturing are realizing that there is a certain connection between the products lifestyle and branding and where the product is produced. Levi's would be a good example.
Tools:
The idea I'm working with now involves exploring the process of creating tools in order to further create other objects. So these tools are an evolution of the one prior, building off of the capabilities and then improving upon them.
Chisel or knife or both
Axe and mallet?
Drawknife or spokeshave
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