Cox/Minahan

STELLA MINAHAN 

- a Senior Research Fellow at Deakin University.

Her research focus is organization change and consumer behaviour. 

She is published in Organization, Journal of Organizational Change Management, Culture

and Organization, Journal of Arts Management, Law and Society and co-authored a

research book Why Women Shop.

JULIE WOLFRAM COX 

- holds the Chair in Management at Deakin University.

- Her research interests include critical and aesthetic perspectives on organization

theory and change. 

- is an associate editor for Qualitative Research in Organizations

and Management 

- a member of the editorial boards for Organizational Studies, Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, Group and Organization Management

and for Tamara.

Overall the Journal for Material Culture looks to explore the link between craft and society, weighing addictional factors such as time and generation comparison, social indenties and influence in correlation to product and culture.

Researchers and this journal would be interested in DIY culture and specifically knititng for many reasons. StichnBitch Groups groups are formed by and for women who get together to knit as a highly social form of creative leisure production. Overall, Knitting iis a handicraft and social sport and is constantly evolving into a bigger movement through the use of technology. It also explores the realms of business and charity, and can further be broken down by cultural relativity.

I would defeinetly syay my approah to my handicraft can be seen as nostalgic with a focus on conservation. My craft, hand maiking soap and beauty products, does bring you back to simpler times when consumerism was less prominent. Before the age of Wal Mart ,Target, and Sephora, many women followed DIY beauty remedies, alot of which have originated from the kitchen and/or natural surroundings. My craft romantisizes this concept, and also plays a role in in opposing over consumption and corporate consumerism.

The Crafters Manifesto is a piece that welcomes everyone to participate. It perpetuates unity through four key ideals.  First being craft is personal. Owning something uniquely handmade is a treasure, not only do you help your neighbor but your buying a piece of art, something special that took time, love and, dedication. Craft is also powerful because your taking home a piece of the authors/artists personality. The craft you purchase invites you to get to know the artist on a physical level, as you will probably be able to interact with the artists during the show/flea market etc. Craft is political because it opposes corporate consumerism, and promotes culture and independent business. Most importantly everyone can parcipate, whether your rich or poor, amateur or professional, working together, or by yourself. Crafting invites everyone to participate in various forms of culture.