iMovie with Chels!

Update On Final Project

So far I've created a blog on WordPress.  I started playing around with it for awhile.  Next, I went through themes and picked one out for my blog so that it looks a little nicer than the regular layout.  I may try to change it to something different later.
Originally I wanted to work a little bit with CSS, but I think that I can just manipulate the blog with the features that it gives me in order to get what I want.  Also, in WordPress it looks like you have to pay to use and manipulate the CSS code for WordPress.  Fortunately, its looking like I can pretty much do what I wanted with the features that this blog offers.
Next, I created a post for my Dad.  I wrote just a little bit about him and I hope to post a picture of him eventually.  In WordPress the links for the posts go towards the right so each person in my family will have a little link over there.
The one thing that has frustrated me so far is the fact that I am having trouble changing the title of my blog.  I originally made it "A blog for English 240", but I'd like to change that section and use it more as a section to write a few words about the blog.  I need to keep looking, but so far I haven't had any luck.
Eventually I need to delete some of the features that the blog displays on the right because it's a little bulky over there and I want the focus on my family, not on the features.  I still have a lot to do.  I plan on getting each person's little bio done soon and then try to add pictures for each person.  After that I'll just have to work on making things clean, neat, and pretty.

Prezi

This is my Prezi!

DIY Definition

To me, DIY is creating with your hands and mind, digitally or not, for a specific purpose. This purpose could be for a specific source of activism like an anti-war protest. In Craft Hard Die Free, Black and Burisch show many different examples of craftivism, like the pink military tank that is done in protest of the War on Terror. In that case, there is a specific source for craft. In other cases, the reason behind DIY is not so specific. For example, my reason behind wanting to knit was the nostalgic feel. The Stitch ‘n Bitch article by Stella Minahan and Julie Wolfram Cox goes through five different themes which relate to DIY craft. Craft however, is not the same thing as art. Although they are very similar and sometimes have blurry lines they are two different things. Buzek explains in his Introduction, “craft theory cannot be assimilated neatly into that of contemporary art, but instead merits its own language and measures” (13). Craft can be beautiful like art, but gets used. It is not created just to look at. There is activism or use behind craft. Jackson, who wrote Men Who Make, talks about craft in relation to work and leisure. Jackson believes that craft has a place outside of work, but that in a lot of cases it can be an extension of the regular, paid work people do. This type of work, but at the same time, leisure is described as flow. This feeling of concentration with the right amount of challenge, but not too much, is a part of craft. However, a certain amount of frustration can happen too. In my own experiences I felt a ton of frustration and while listening to other people explain their mid-term projects, so do a lot of other people. DIY culture has a lot of emotion in it. In regards to the digital world, DIY is included in that. People can digitally create their own work with reason and use behind it. Edupunk is just one thing that can, and does many times, use technology and digital works in DIY culture. Learning things on your own is using both your hands in order to create and the mind while learning. Ideas are bounced around and statements are made just like with regular craft. Malcolm McCullough states in his article, Abstracting Craft, that tools and technologies working with the hand are craft. He purposely added the “and technologies” portion to explain that digital work is part of DIY culture and craft. Jenkins goes through many examples of digital work making a statement in DIY culture in his book. He discusses how virtual worlds, memes, and videos added to elections. He also discusses Star Wars culture. This online group and DIY groups in general create community among its members. All in all DIY is a culture with a purpose and a specific fan base. It does go far beyond that though. Defining DIY and the culture that goes along with it is very difficult to define for me.

Guzzetti et al. and Anderson/Balsamo

Guzzetti et al.

Barbara Guzetti is a professor at ASU. Her expertise is in new media and technologies, gender studies, popular culture media, and literacy. In regards to literacy she focuses on adolescents and technology literacy. She is also interested in DIY in education. I don't know if I found the correct Kate Elliott. The one I found is a science fiction and fantasy writer. She seems pretty well known. Diana Welsch works at the University of Texas in Women's studies. Other than that I couldn't find much on her.

This article reminds me of what I already have learned in my curriculum and instruction classes. We don't sit and talk about technology. Usually when we talk about a students funds of knowledge, which is the knowledge each child brings to the classroom, its usually in terms of their culture, race, or background. It makes sense that technology could easily be a fund of knowledge as well. Basically anything could be useful information. Students offer a lot to the classroom. Gauging their interests and deciding what to put in their syllabus is a huge job for a teacher; the things in the syllabus should be things that interest the students. Otherwise, they get absolutely nothing out of the learning.

Another reason teachers should learn DIY media is the fact that they need to stay up to date on what their students are interested in outside of school. That way they have things in common and can talk about academic things in those terms and in those contexts. It's all about the student.

Also, these students will need these technological skills later on in life. The world is moving towards that direction and in order to stay up to date schools and teachers need to keep up to date and teach their kids. Some students, especially urban minority students who don't have access to technology need to learn these skills.

The article also discusses how traditionally, "boys resist school literacies" (5). However, they engage "more often and on more sophisticated levels" than girls do in media literacies. This gap could be because of cyber-bulling; girls are more likely to be victims of this. It's good that they addressed this. It's an issue teachers are going to have to be dealing with now.

Also, after school programs focused on either girls only or boys only helps to make this gap smaller. However, I'm a little skeptical of if these programs really work. I did a research paper on girls only and boys only schools and classrooms and if they are more effective than co-ed classrooms and their is never really enough evidence to go either way. In the real world, boys and girls will have to work together. But at the same time, when kids are that young they are self-conscious and sometimes prefer working with children of the same sex.

DISCUSSION Q?'s:

The article describes teachers as "digital migrants", people who haven't grown up with the new literacies that their students have. What will change with this new generation of teachers that have grown up with all this technology?

In co-ed classrooms, how should teachers deal with the gender gap in regards to DIY media literacies?

Anderson/Balsamo

Balsamo is a professor at USC in the School of Cinematic Arts. Her work focuses on the relationship between culture and technology. I couldn't find the correct Steve Anderson, there were too many when I googled his name. I tried to associate him with MIT, but all I could find were Steve Anderson's that attended MIT.

This article was kind of weird for me. I want to be a teacher in a classroom, with students that don't sound like holographs. It just sounded like a made-up game to me. The other article gave, what I thought could potentially be really great advice for teachers. Maybe for a teacher who wants to do an entire class online, this would be great help, but it just didn't suit me as well. They talk about these games that the holographs play with different tools. They can switch up their tools between games if they wish. Also, things that are relevant to school now, like socioeconomic status are talked about, but again, not in the context that I'll see in a real classroom. Sure, technology and how much they have of it at home shows socioeconomic class sometimes, but financial ability to enroll in "reality-based" programs are considered the wealthy.

I do agree with the fact that as teachers, we need to view students as technological beings and from a different generation. In my case though, I grew up with lots of technology as well. Maybe not as much as the students I will have one day though.

The author discusses "Original Synners' which are people who "develop strong abilities to critically evaluate the veracity and reliability of information sources" (245).

"When this happens, the teachers will have as much to learn as students" (245). I do believe that this statement is also true. When their is a disposition in generations, teachers do need to learn a lof of what their students are doing. Their outside learning and how they do it is vital in the classroom like I said above.

Open, Hybrid, and Media Rich sites are discussed (definitions on pg 247). This connected back to the DIY U article. DIY believes that open-source education is a great thing for people that want to learn outside of the traditional university system. They also discuss MIT OpenCourseware, which was discussed in the DIY U article as well. This is a small step that a lot of other colleges should, in my opinion, follow. Putting information online helps the students going to the university as well as other "students" that may not be in school, but are trying to find their way. It helps society in general by making it more educated.

One of the parts of this article that I agree with most is the fact that teachers should be Synners too. Especially if even just one of their students is. The article describes that new technologies will bring teachers problems, but also "opportunities for productive experimentation" (254).

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

How far is technological education going to go? Is the classroom that is described in the beginning of this text a better option than classroom education? Or should we be spending money on making class size smaller or getting more resources to the classroom instead of putting that money into classes like that?

Edupunk Notes

Definition: Edupunk is a student-driven, mostly self-taught or non-traditional way of education. Technology isn't a must-have for edupunk, however it is valued.

Definiton (quote from Brooks article): "In short, edupunk is student-centered, resourceful, teacher- or community created rather than corporate sourced, and underwritten by progressive political stance."

Jim Groom is an Institutional Technology Specialist at the University of Mary Washington. He focuses a lot on higher education and primarily, in instructional technology. He was also the man who coined the world Edupunk.

Leslie Madsen-Brooks works is interested in English and history studies. She also studies women/gender. However, she is very interested in "how digital technologies-and especially mobile devices-can democratize learning and engage broader audiences with science and history.

Anya Kamenetz is a writer at for Fast Company Magazine and Tribune Media. She has written a few things about EduPunk and about higher education in general.

Edupunk in general is trying to work towards a different type of higher education for students. According to the DIY U article not a large number of people go to high school, directly to a four year school, graduate, and find a job. I thought most people did this. The biggest thing that article addresses is the fact that not everyone is meant for higher education. It's expensive and not everyone is meant for the "college experience".

I think technology is an incredible resource for people who want to participate in Edupunk, but it isn't completely necessary. The internet allows the user to a ton of information. The article gave a few colleges as an example. These schools put lectures, notes, etc on the web for others to use. Also, the Internet is great for researching different options for higher education.

"Edupunk, he writes, is opposed to capitalist co-optation of the labor of educators" (Brooks). Universities are a business to a lot of people. People make a ton of money off of the students that go there and in many of these universities students and their needs are not ever a top priority. Money and politics run higher education. That's what Edupunk is against.

The New London Group is a group of ten people who came together to work on issues of literacy pedagogy and how the world is supposed to address the change of this literacy due to globalization, technology, and increasing cultural and social diversity. They also coined the word multiliteracies, which is a new type of literacy based on what I've just mentioned.

The main point of this article is to extend the pedagogy of literacy farther than what it is currently defined as most of the time. The authors defined it as, "...restricted to formalized, monolingual, monocultural, and rule-governed forms of language" (1). The authors describe how "the languages are needed to make meaning are radically changing in three realms of our existence: our working lives, our public lives (citizenship), and our personal lives (lifeworlds)" (2).

The worklife in this world is changing and the authors argue, that as educators, we need to be aware of that change and teach it. Skill levels, types of work, etc are changing from the Ford-like production line to "fast capitalism" type jobs. The language for these new jobs are changing as well because of new social changes and new equipment is being used. Work places have changed to much more informal places with more informal relationships. All of these examples of change show that this new literacy must be taught in schools in order for students to eventually fulfill employment. "These new workplace discourses can be taken in two very different ways-as opening new educational and social possibilities, or as new systems of mind control or exploitation" (3). The authors talk about how the definition of success has to change too; away from just economic terms.

Citizenship and our public lives are drastically changing as well. After the 80s the authors say that there were many changes. These changes sound really political to me. Media has also changed our lives. The last big change is that our lives are becoming less private and more public. Boundary lines between various "communities" (ex: Italian-American community, LGBT community) are blurring. People are parts of more than one communities, move between them, etc.

"Every classroom will inevitably reconfigure the relationships of local and global difference that are now so critical. To be relevant, learning processes need to recruit, rather than attempt to ignore and erase, the different subjectivities, interests, intentions, commitments, and purposes that students bring to learning" (8). That quote describes what should be happening now in schools. The authors also discuss the fact that there are limits on how much schools alone can do with teaching this new multiliteracy. Schools have to discuss "fast capitalism, emerging pluarlistic forms of citizenship, and of different lifeworlds" (10).

The term "design" is used to describe managers, teachers; as designers. Also, design science is starting to be used to look at different professions like teaching or office work. They like using this word because it doesn't have a negative feeling like "grammar" or other subjects. Also, design has multiple meanings so it fits many words. Order of discourse describe the way that each discourse relates or speaks to each other. "...Available Designs-that take the form of discourses, styles, genres, dialects, and voices to name a few key variables" (11). Available design is a part, or sub-group of order of discourse. The authors then discuss what designing is. To me it sounds like creating new things based off of your knowledge. Designing does not simply just re-use available designs though. Redesigning is yet another term that the authors describe. A good definition for that is "the resources that are produced and transformed through Designing" (13).

Teachers need to use a sort of metalanguage, a language that describes language, to talk about this new pedagogy/design. The primary purpose of this language is to "identify and explain differences between texts, and relate these to the contexts of culture and situation in which they seem to work" (14). This metalanguage used to describe linguistics is supposed to focus our attention on "representational resources". (Look at table on page 17)

All in all this article describes different ways to name things. It looks at Visual, Audio, Spacial meanings and creates a new language for it because of the changing public, work, and school life that we live in today.

QUESTIONS:

I didn't understand the first paragraph about citizenship/public life. It was about politics. I didn't follow much of it.

Available designs confuse me. Are they ideas and then designing shapes them? -->Look at chart on page 13.

Ito and Lessig Notes

Ito Notes

Mimi Ito is a Japanese cultural anthropologist who now works at the University of California, Irvine. Her main interest is the use of media technology. She has worked with how children use technology among many other things.

Ito goes into amateur media studies and talks about how amateur usually has a negative association and bad works come out of amateur media artists. However, the main argument she is trying to make is that that is simply not true. "I want to walk through three case studies of Internet video that illustrate key components of the amateur media ecology-participation, innovation, and reputation". Ito also gives a really good definition of where she thinks that amateur media fits in the Internet world. She says it fits between professional works and the tools that they use to complete their work and social network and everyday communication.

Reading about the first case study, which was Coulton and his musical career, you can see that his audience is a specific group of people that really support him. Also, Coulton has been very open to allowing his fans to participate with his music by making videos, etc. Coulton and his fans are great examples of one of the key components Ito talks about: participation.

The second case study, the one on lip synching youtube videos were used to show appropriation. "The workplace backstreet boys video is both an imitation as well as an incremental innovation on these prior innovations. It epitomizes the kind of work that is born out of the contemporary amateur video ecosystem." Basically what Ito is saying is that that video, and many others, use existing memes, trends, and techniques when they make their media. She also talks about how things since Numa Numa, that video made in 2004, have grown. Favoriting, sharing, etc have been created and made easier.

Reputation is the main key component discussed in the third case study. The third case study focuses on anime culture and mostly fansubbing, which is amateur subtitling so people who don't speak Japanese can enjoy the anime. The structure of these fansub groups is incredible as well. They have different positions where people in their group specialize while they work together on getting the anime episode perfect. The fansub community also works together; they look at the videos other groups have made and critique/review the work that each other makes. One part of these groups that amazes me is the amount of work these people put in and they don't get paid. They are so proud of the work that they are making for other people. According to Ito, these people enjoy being part of this specific social group. "But most will point to the satisfaction they get from knowing that others are viewing their work, and that they are developing a reputation within the scene". Ito also describes AMVs, which are mashups of anime and then music, usually Euro-American music or music from different movies. It's two cultures combining together to create a piece of work. The AMV scene likes to recognize high quality work in the forms of competition and conventions, rankings, etc. Ito also talks about the difficulties of getting noticed in AMV when she interviews AbsoluteDestiny, and AMV creator, who says that getting even just your name noticed by people is so important because in a world with so many videos its really hard to get noticed. There is a certain hierarchy in the anime world.

QUESTIONS:

In the second case study there is such a wide range of quality in the videos. Where are the lines drawn when it comes to what makes a video/creator professional or amateur? The last video was much more structured than the other three, yet the other three were part of this presentation that is talking about how amateurs/amateur media grows.

Ito says, "Although participants in the scene experience tension between the more "common" and "elite" forms of participation in the AMV scene they are integrally related and synergistic". I don't understand if there is such a hierarchy and so much tension how these two "seperate" communities work together. How is that possible?

Lessig

Lawerence Lessig is an American academic and a political activist. He's well-known as a proponent for reducing restrictions on copyright, trademark, and radio-frequency spectrum. He has worked at Stanford and now works at Harvard. He is a board member for many groups including Creative Commons.

This introduction starts out with the story of a Mom simply recording her son dancing to a Prince song for a whole 29 seconds. Universal owns some of the rights to Prince's song and threatened Stephanie with lawsuits while forcing YouTube to take down the video. "...neither Prince nor Universal was in the business of selling the rights to video-cam your baby dancing to their music. There is no market in licensing music to amateur video." Lessig also talks about how much corporate money (10-50 thousand dollars) for the lawyers at Universal to have this meeting about slapping her with a fine of possibly $150,000 for a 29 second video of her dancing baby which is incredibly ridiculous. Next, a exhibit in London was discussed. It was a video of 25 fans of John Lennon singing his entire album. They were not great singer or extraordinary people. However, they were huge fans and therefore, this exhibit was more about the fans of Lennon than Lennon himself; how the music touched them. Candace Breitz, the woman who created the Lennon piece, focuses on mainstream culture and the relationship the audience has with it. She discusses how the reception of the music, video, whatever is really creative when the audience listens or watches it. People interpret and translate in different ways. She then discusses how creative works overlap and get ideas from each other. "No artist works in a vacuum. Every artist reflects- consciously or not- on what has come before and what is happening parallel to his or her practice" (9).

Gregg Gillis, the creator of Girl Talk, mashes up and remixes music from various artists to create this "new" piece of work. He doesn't have the permission of any of the artists that he uses. However, in my opinion it isn't competing with the work that the original artists create. He uses snippets of their work and makes it all his own. Gillis says, "You get a lot of raw ideas and stuff from people outside of the box who haven't taken a guitar lesson in their whole life. I just think that's great for music" (14). I agree with Gillis, new isn't necessarily bad and this remixing is going to catch on and be easier for people. Embrace it.

SilviaO, a Colombian musician, put her music on ccMixter, a social networking type of site for music, where people are allowed to remix her music. The remixes that were made this way are completely legal. The way she thought of creating music completely changed.

One quote that sums up his article really well is when Lessig says, "I then want to spotlight the damage we're not thinking enough about- the harm to a generation from rendering criminal what comes natural to them" (18).

QUESTIONS:

If there is no way to license music to amateur videos how do people make youtube videos or presentations without getting them taken down? What is the right way to go about using this media?

McCullough/Weiner Notes

McCullough

Malcolm McCullough is an associate professor at the University of Michigan where he teaches architecture and information design. He seems to be interested in" urban computing and place-based interactive design" since he has lectured extensively on those topics. He likes using his architect and technology background.

The first section of this article describes what exactly craft is. Tools and technologies working with the hand is the very general definition the author gives right off the bat. There are both differences and similarities between these types of work. "These motions are quick, small, and repetitive, as in much traditional handwork, but somehow they differ. For one thing, they are faster--in fact, their rates matter quite a bit" (1-2). The author then goes on to say that the digital artisan isn't focusing and looking on the hands; they look at the screen. Another part of craft is that it usually isn't talked about in regards to technology. However, the world is becoming more high-tech. "...the usual meaning opposes high-technology processes in which the hand plays a diminished role. Thus the proposal of craft in an electronic medium is somewhat of a paradox. But can we, here in the computer age, with fully optimistic and benevolent intent suggest that the word needs a more inclusive definition?" (2).

The next section goes into what direct manipulation is. "Direct manipulation is term coined in 1983 by software designer Ben Shneiderman to describe a principal that we now take for granted: pointing at our work with a mouse" (2). Although I'm still a bit confused on exactly what direct manipulation is, the text says that programs like MacPaint and MacDraw were some of the first programs to use direct manipulation. That makes me think that maybe direct manipulation is the act of using a mouse, clicking, etc. Haptic, a word which means the "exploratory and manipulative aspects of touch" is somewhat the next step after using the mouse for computer work. They talk about touch as being important. I agree that in regards to craft the sense of touching is vital. The hands are touching materials and working with fabrics, etc when doing traditional craft. With digital craft you cannot physically touch your work like traditional craft. In the last part of this article the author describes how the hands work together during digital craft, the pace matters, problems arise and they get fixed, etc. They way he describes this sounds so close to the descriptions of traditional craft. He also describes how eventually you can become a master of the computer, just like you can with a craft. All in all, he ends this article stating that digital craft is indeed real craft. The last paragraph explains that well.

QUESTIONS:

I'm a bit confused on what "direct manipulation" is. First, it says that direct manipulation is pointing at things with a mouse. However then it says that MacPaint and MacDraw were some of the first direct manipulations. Those programs are more than just pointing a mouse. What is a clear definition of direct manipulation?

Weiner

Norbert Weiner was a math professor at MIT. He contributed work to electronic engineering, electronic communication, and control system. He also created cybernetics.

Cybernetics has a lot to do with how machines think and how they interact with humans. From what I got out of it, it deals with the messages that machines send and humans send to each other to get an output. He describes the industrial revolution. On page one, he talks about how in the first revolution the "human arm is replaced by industrial machines" and in the modern industrial revolution is "devaluing the human mind".

A large part of this article was the point that messages no longer are sent from humans to humans. Electrical messages are sent all of the time. Turning on a coffee pot sends a message to a machine is just one example that Weiner gives in this article.

Then, Weiner compares older machines to newer ones. "The older machines, and in particular the older attempts to produce automata, did in fact work on a closed clockwork basis. On the other hand, the machines of the present day possess sense organs; that is, receptors for messages coming from the outside" (3). Chunks of the article like this almost give the article a sense that machines are taking over. That's the general feel I got from this article.

QUESTIONS:

I did not understand why the art of pilot and steersman and the "governor" was included in this article. (pg 2) It did not seem to add anything to the text but as a promotion for other ones of his books. Why was that paragraph in the article? I don't see what it does for the audience.

Gabriel/Wagmister and Barbrook/Schultz

Gabriel/Wagmister

Teshome H. Gabriel was a professor at UCLA in the Theater, Film, and Television department who focuses on Third World cinema. Teshome was not born in the United States; he was born in Ethiopia. Fabian Wagmister is a professor at UCLA and worked in the same department as Gabriel. He also is a filmmaker and created Hypermedia studios. He seems to be interested in technology across the globe as well. For both of the authors, I think connecting technology to other countries is important to them.

The main topic of the essay is comparing traditional weaving and new digital technologies like a computer or the world wide web. They talk about how digital technology is talked about in terms of looking towards the future and making a break with the past. This puts the Third World in a weird position because most of their life is centered on traditional cultures, like weaving.

One of the most interesting comparisons they made was the fact that lots of vocabulary terms are used in both activities. Some of these terms include network, web, and texture. Tradition is another large part of the article. "...the Third World is represented as having a more ecological, more connected, (dare we say) more spiritual view of others and the world, computer technology tends to think of tradition in merely instrumental terms, something to help it designate tools, objects, and users -- all of which are ultimately and tacitly reincorporated in to a Western perspective." From that quote, it sounds as if technology in the Third World is trying to push them toward the more Western culture and ideals. Another thing that I thought was odd in the article was the fact that they said the spiritual is found in digital technologies a lot. The ad with the computer and the monk was mentioned as an example. However, I've never seen an ad or anything like that before in my life.

QUESTIONS:

I don't really understand when they were talking about weaving being digital because you work with digits. "Weaving is digital, in the sense that it relies on digits - on fingers - for its production." If this was true wouldn't almost all craft be digital?

Is weaving always connected to the spiritual world and the Great Mother in all cultures? I don't know if that would effect how different cultures would view the spiritual world in connection to weaving/computers.

Barbrook/Schultz

Richard Barbrook is from the UK and he's a huge critic of the "neo-liberal cyber-elite". He's worked with community radio-broadcasting, media regulations, and he has been the coordinator of the Hypermedia Research Center. This may be the same place that Gabriel worked on. Pit Schultz lives in Berlin. He's worked on radio projects that combine "old" and "new" radio together. He's also an artist, author, and computer professional.

This manifesto is a fake manifesto; almost satirical. It's sarcastic and the manifesto itself talks about his made up group called the digital artisans. The artisans are connected with old-school bourgeois-type social classes when it talks about the present moment. In the next section they talk about this group called EDAN which sounds like a union to me. Government is obviously linked with the unions in the manifesto just like it is in real life, at this time in the United States.

"No society can call itself truly democratic until all citizens can directly exercise their right to media freedom over the Net." This quote shows the link of government and union and also shows how sarcastic this piece is. I think in this section the authors are trying to say that technology represents moving forward to Western cultures and that kind of connects with democracy. Western societies think the only modern, great government can be democratic just like we see technology as more effective/modern than a traditional, simple way of life.

QUESTIONS:

I don't understand why the partying was a part of #17. I understand this is a fake manifesto, but is that a cultural thing for some people do with their unions? Or have people done that before and the authors don't agree with that practice? I feel like it's oddly placed.

Also I didn't fully understand how #20 was sarcastic, satirical, or fake. It seemed like a normal thing for a union to expect; education opportunities for the people who want to pursue that trade. Again, I'm just wondering if in the UK this is some cultural thing that I just don't understand? Are they trying to bash a certain digital/technological union that they have over there?

Digital Craft

In Class Photoshop 3/8

I cropped the picture a bit and just played around with brightness and contrast.

Jenkins- Chapter 6 and Conclusion

The largest part of Chapter 6 was simply the convergence between politics and social media. The focus was on the 2004 election and the use of photoshop, various websites, blogs, and people trying to report the how the election was going. Also, they looked into television. The mainstream news channels versus entertainment or comedy news like the Daily Show. It was really interesting that the people who watched the entertainment based shows actually knew more about the issues than the people who watched the news. I suppose that is because the ones who are watching the entertainment based programs look up more information on the issues while the people who watch mainstream news use that was their sole resource. Jenkins sees this cultural production as a means to promote politics I think. He saw Alphaville as a city where people could talk about democracy and the democratic process. It was a sort of debate between people of the city and a way for the people who participated in this online city to see the faults of democracy. Also, it gave young people in this country a way to participate in politics. I think this type of social media gives people a chance to share and participate in politics and spread their voices in ways that they couldn't before. I think the "vote naked" ads describe how regular people feel about politics. They are scared to talk about them because honestly, talking politics can cause fights and ruin relationships, people get yelled at for having certain views on things, etc. Other "regular people" could be young people who aren't able to vote; they can participate in things like the Sims game he talked about. These regular people can use social media to keep up on politics in the comfort of their own homes and become comfortable with politics becoming a larger part of their life (if they choose to). Jenkins also talks about the "Monitorial Citizen" which is a citizen who kind of just sits back and watches. Also in that section he talks about exactly what an "informed citizen" is. I think that is up to opinion; people get all their information from many different places. The Monitorial citizen can use this social media as another way to get information and use that information if need be. If I ever felt really attacked by politics I think I could see myself displaying that online or in other ways. However, usually I keep my views to myself instead of voicing my thoughts on politics. A lot of people out there get fired up about politics and then forget to respect other's opinions. I don't know if I live under a rock or am watching the wrong stuff, but I haven't seen much social media on the upcoming elections yet. There have been all these controversies with potential candidates, but I don't keep up on a lot of politics as it is so I haven't seen anything or participated in anything yet.

I see his convergence culture as different digital medias not focusing on one sole media but instead going across multiple medias. Star Wars was a really good example of that. It was originally shot as a movie, but then expanded into a video game, action figures, t shirts, etc. Also, I think convergence is participatory based. The mixture between large corporations and fans/participants is another large part of culture. Collectively and together these two parts can make up a better whole; a more intelligent whole. By having participants different areas of culture expands and gains more fans because they feel closer to the particular part of culture. I see it connecting with DIY on a few levels. The participants of convergence are usually making things, like movies. They use their hands and brains to create just like DIY crafters. The one thing that I feel is different between DIY and convergence culture is that with DIY they are usually activists against corporations and on some level convergence culture is trying to work with big corporations. I'm not saying that participants of convergence culture and corporations don't bump heads, but the goal is to eventually have a good relationship with each other and use each other in their own works. I think a lot of what Jenkins describes is digital craft like I said before. His article did change how I felt about digital craft. Previously, I felt like digital craft felt and sounded a lot like work. However, the people participating in this digital craft are making things because they love to make it. They are crazy fans of the things they participate in. That isn't work, that's leisure.

Jenkins- Intro and Chapter 4 and Midtern Project Updates

Henry Jenkins earned his PhD at UW-Madison in Communication Arts. He enjoys studying fan cultures, "world-making", and the relationship between text and reader. In the introduction I think his main argument is that convergence is coming whether people are ready for it or not. Companies need to be ready to give away a little bit of their creative freedom to whoever or whatever medium they have to eventually work with. Also, he talks about consumer and corporate relationships. He describes it as "both a top-down corporate-driven process and a bottom-up consumer-driven process. Going off of that, he talks about how grassroots participation and corporate media interact. The major key terms he uses are convergence, participation, and collective intelligence. He also uses franchise, corporate, grassroots, and consumer quite a lot. He sees a lot changing. He talks about how the consumer is changing; they're louder, more migratory, and more social. He also talks about the medium changing but media staying the same; he lists a ton of examples. In Chapter 4, Jenkins talks extensively about how fans of Star Wars participate in the Star Wars culture by making their own movies. Mostly, he discusses the relationship between these fans and their work and Lucasfilm the company who made Star Wars. He talks about how the relationship has changed; the company is more strict on what fans make and sometimes less strict. He does talk about how Lucasfilm has been very tolerant of their fans and I think that's part of why it is so successful. They have a positive convergence. Star Wars is heavily participated in by the consumers and most of the time, its taken very well by Lucas and his company. His company actually watches some of the movies and recognizes what they consider to be well-made amateur films. At the same time, Lucasfilm does put certain restraints on their work. I think that their success comes from the perfect balance between these restraints and the participation that they allow their fans. Jenkins also discusses how fans and their participation differ when it comes to video games. It seems like their is much more room for fans to participate and express themselves in this medium. Koster, the guy in charge of making video games for Star Wars, sees fan participation in the video game world as really important. He advocates expression.

I think Jenkins is asking us to see DIY as a way to express ourselves, but with some limitations. That seems to be a core subject of his book. Also, I think he might be trying to say that collaboration is a good idea. DIY people and big corporations may be able to work together at some point if fans and huge film corporations can. In regards to craft, he only really talks about digital craft so I think he sees digital craft as a real craft. He sees it as a real way of self expression. I definitely agree with him. I think some people see digital craft as more work than craft. Some people express themselves and use the digital world everyday. Digital work can have purpose just like normal craft can.

MIDTERM REFLECTION:

Well my progress on my dishcloths has been pretty slow. I had to look up a lot more things on knitting and try much more techniques than I originally thought I would have to. I spent hours doing this. Then, whenever I would mess up my knitting I wouldn't know how to fix it so I would just start over again. The second picture is an example of that. I got this far plenty of times and then had to start over again. This took awhile because I didn't have any technique down and I wasn't fast or good at knitting by any means. This was all VERY frustrating for me. I made progress and then had nothing to show for it basically. The most surprising part of this project for me is just how difficult knitting honestly is for me. I didn't know there was so much to it. The only thing I'm altering about my project is the number of dishcloths I'm going to be making. I hope to finish two of them. I had originally guessed that I'd finish four, but didn't really put much thought into the amount of time looking information up and teaching myself to knit would take up (which was A TON of time). However, I am proud of myself with how much I've learned and done all on my own.

Berry and Fasenfest

Berry

Wendell Berry truly values agriculture, but thinks that it's talked about as a business when in reality it isn't. He describes how people explain the agriculture business as a free market. However, Berry sees agriculture as far from business as do other farmers apparently. Wendell was a farmer himself along with being an author, and a cultural and economic critic. He grew up in a family of farmers. Also, he seemed to be quite the activist. He seemed to be interested in pollution, the land, and anti-war activism as well. I think he wants the reader to see the text and himself as lovers of the land and advocates for farming. He's trying to get the reader to see that there is something wrong with how this country is running. A lot of the sources of agriculture are being ruined and economics are making farming impossible for some people. I think he wants the readers of this text to think about this essay and then think towards the future. Like he says, everything is okay now while we still have the sources of agriculture but eventually they'll run out because we are a nation that like to consume and not take care of the earth and resources that we ruin on the way. He's trying to show the true grim reality of this situation for farmers themselves and the people that live in this country. He's mostly interested in environmental and economic issues.

Fasenfest

Harriet Fasenfest lives in Portland, Oregon and is attempting to make home economics more modern. She teaches classes on food preservation, she is an urban gardener, and a writer too. The businesses on Main Street that she refers to in her Intro are two cafes that she used to own. I think Fasenfest wants the readers of her book to understand that she started out probably in the place where they are; trusting the economic system, using big business, etc. Also, she wants to show how she grew into an urban gardener and why she gardens. It's obviously an important part of her life. Instead of owning cafes, she now uses her backyard for produce. She uses something natural and is connected to natural things. She also makes it clear that this thinking didn't happen overnight; I think that part is important too. It's a process. The people she probably has in mind as readers are people who may be feeling the same way she did in the beginning or possibly people just looking to produce their own food as opposed to buying from big businesses like Wal-Mart. Fasenfest is most interested in the Globalization of America I think. She describes that conference that was part of her change.

Like craft activism, gardening or farming is going against consumer America in a way. By producing food for yourself and your family (or maybe for the region you live in if you have a farm) you no longer have to rely on other sources. Creating food is still creating something in some sense, so it could loosely be seen as a craft. Also, we talked about how craft is used in every day life and certainly food is used in every day life and if you had a farm or garden producing that food it would be a sort of craft. Depending on the intentions of the gardener or farmer, I definitely think that there could be an activist side to farming/gardening.

In-Class Writing Reflection 2/28

Crafting

I don't really see the craft that I do as a kind of activism. I think I do my work for fun as opposed to a political or social stance. I like to knit and cook as something for fun; it's something different for me to do. I buy a lot of things from regular clothing stores and regular supermarkets. I'm sure if I tried harder I could make more and stop buying so much from regular clothing stores, but I haven't so I don't view what I craft as a kind of craftivism.

Buying

They only kind of activism that I think I portray when I buy is when I buy produce from produce stands during the summer. My family and I like to get our produce from the stands on the side of the road in our town during the summer. Generally the food tastes much better and it is nice to support a local farm instead of Pick n Save or Wal Mart. I feel like the people on the farm work really hard to make great food so paying them for it feels better than paying a big store that doesn't need the money as much as a local farm does. They deserve my money more.

Greer and Black/Burisch

Greer

Betsy Greer was the author of this text. You can tell by simply reading the article that she is very passionate about both craft and being "a voice" in the world. She has opinions on things, like the war, and enjoys making a point through craft instead of protesting. It's a new way of protesting. By doing a quick search I found out that she has an M.A. in sociology, but it seems like she spends most of her time freelance writing. Not sure if she's writing about sociology based things. Right now, she's working on labor rights issues. I think the purpose of writing this essay is to give a background of "craftivism". The essay is short but she gives a background on how she came up with the idea, the struggles that she had with others using the word, and then her coming to peace with others using the word. I think she saw something wrong with the world she was living in and wanted a way to express that. She said in the essay that she had tried protesting, but it didn't feel right. This was a way that worked for her, and apparently, a way that worked for many other people as well. Others are using this way to protest and "speak out". Another motive for writing this essay may have been to show others a new way to get their opinions out. The writer assumes that the readers of this essay have something to say about the world. They're political and they're not satisfied with the way that they have been speaking out. I see the writer trying to change the way people view the world. You can see this when she's talking about watching the Halloween parade in New York. She's describing how the people just look forward and don't interact. That's why she starts the knitting circles and how she starts with craftivism. I think she wants people to start being more social and intimate. The war on terror seems to be the most important social issue to her. She brings it up multiple times and does anti-war craft. The war is what drives her to create "craftivism" in the first place.

Black/Burisch

Both the writers of this text are very interested in using art to make a political stance or a political statement. Going off of that, I think they're also interested in the places that display this craft and how it is displayed- they talked a lot about how different museums displayed things in an unproductive way. After doing a google search on both of these writers I found out that Anthea Black writes a lot on craft in regards to sexuality and on other political topics as well which was expected. Nicole Burisch does much of the same stuff. She focuses on contemporary craft and craft theory. I think the writers want the readers of this text to see craft as a way to express yourself in a really effective way, but to be weary about the places in which the craft is displayed. They obviously both participate and enjoy craftivism, but it's also obvious that the works can be taken in the wrong way when displayed ignorantly or without information or a workshop along with the exhibit. I think that similar to the other essay they have in mind future crafters or crafters that have something to say politically as their readers. Also, people who work in museums or other places that display art, like galleries, may be interested in reading this text in order to be knowledgeable about craftivism. The writers give many examples of projects that the readers could participate in, like the Pink Tank project or the Peace Knits banner. These are examples of people working together democraticly toward a common goal. They also give examples of work being done individually like the knitted land mines. Various historical and social issues seem important to the writers, but like the above text, it seems like the War on Terror is at the front. Anti-war craft seemed to be the center of this text; all of the projects mentioned had an anti-war message.

In my opinion, craft does seem to be a good medium for activism. It is effective for people who want to keep something going. For example, in "Craft Hard Die Free" they talk about archiving the work of Pink Tank with a video. That is forever remembered then and does make a huge public display without the yelling. Although protests can be called peaceful, I think a lot of yelling and screaming is not entirely peaceful. Creating a craft, especially doing it with many people, does show a political message and a powerful one at that. Stitch 'n Bitch and DIY Trunk Show are both organizations that are all over and have a message. These organizations have tons of people participating in them and that makes their messages strong and loud.

Part Two

When I worked on the lolcat I feel some similarities as I do knitting because both are basically new to me. Trying to learn to knit again was kind of frustrating; looking up things online is much different than having my grandmother there instructing me and helping me along when I mess things up. Similarly, working with Photoshop was completely new to me. It was difficult for me to use even though we had instructions there. Also, although the lolcat was something fun to make in comparison to writing a paper or doing school work, it almost felt like school work because we were working in classroom. Also, I think since I do so much school work on my laptop, it felt like that too. So based on medium, it felt like work to me. On the other hand, working with the yarn and knitting, doesn't feel as work-like to me. Although it's challenging for me, I feel a connection to my grandmother while I'm knitting and enjoy telling her about the project. She gets excited knowing that I'm trying to knit. It's something we have in common. I had a more cozy feel with knitting than working on the lolcat. I think that digital craft can definitely exist. Someone can easily make something online that has a use and that they enjoy making as well. Just because I don't find working on a computer "cozy and crafty" others might. And if you look at digital craft as a sort of craftivism, I'm sure you could find tons of examples. Online cartoons, blogs, online edited photos are just a few examples that I can think of right now.

My First Lolcat

Thanks to Flickr user cobalt123 for sharing this cute cat via Creative Commons!

Stitch 'n Bitch and DIY Trunk Show notes

Stitch 'n Bitch

Stella Minahan: Works at a college in Australia (Deakin), Graduate certificate of retail management. She's interested in sociology of consumption, social responsibilities in retail, and institutional theory.

Julie Wolfram Cox: Also works at Deakin University. Chair in Managment in the School of Management and Marketing. Works on things outside of organization theory and change ; ex: worked to make her community safer with the police.

Journal of Material Culture: Concerned with relationship between artifacts and social relations. Also, explores the links between the construction of social identities and the production and use of culture. Uses cultural studies, anthropology, and archaeology, and material culture studies.

I think that these researchers would be interested in Stitch 'n Bitch because Stella Minahan is intersted in consumerism and retail. They talk about how knitting used to be something that had to be done and is not being taken up as a leisure. Crafting can also be seen as defying consumerism and they talk about "rebelling" or crafting politically. This rebel against consumerism could possibly interest her. In regards to Cox, she seems to be interested in organizations. Therefore, Stitch 'n Bitch would be interesting to her. It's an organization of women, crafting in a new way. The motives of the people in the group could be of interest to her. This journal writes on cultural studies, anthropology, and material culture studies. All of these subjects can be related to Stitch 'n Bitch. Cultural studies and anthropology can be used to describe the people in the group, why they are in the group, why this group has formed (historically or not), etc. Although I'm not entirely sure what material culture studies are it sounds like it has something to do with the medium that the knitters are using. The specific materials and what their making could relate to that. Stuff like that evolves over time depending on the functions and needs of the item.

I think in regards to my craft project, I would say it has a nostalgic feel for me. I took up this project specifically because I had once learned to knit. My grandmother taught me so it brings up memories with her as well as with my sister who learned with me. We were much younger then so it was obviously a simpler time for us; no real responsibilities. I do agree that craft is used in the home and very functional like the text said. However I'm not nostalgic for a certain type of art. I don't have a favorite type of art to be nostalgic of at all. I'm not trying to go back to the time of my grandmother, like they state in the text. When I knit it simply brings back memories, of my own time, with the person who taught me.

DIY Trunk Show Craftifesto

I think that the craftifesto really sums up with craft is and what it is all about. For me, it actually made some of the readings more clear. Carlton and Cooper are promoting living a life with people and in connection with people. They want people to get away from buying mass produced goods and start buying hand-made crafts. They talk about the connection you feel as a buyer and as a seller of these crafts I suppose, to the objects. They are promoting a more intimate relationship between people and people and between the things people use and people. I think the political side they definitely get right. I believe that the intimate connection to the craft they describe is one of the main points of DIY culture. I think they overlook some of the other reasons that people craft though. Feminism has been a big factor in why women craft (or don't-ex: knitting, crocheting, etc). I also think it's great that they don't only promote the professional crafters but also the amateur and pro-am crafters. I'm not opposed to buying things that crafters make; my grandma does it all the time actually. However, it does take much more of an effort and sometimes more money to get these items. It's hard to say how much effort I would really put in to stop buying mass produced items. I wouldn't completely stop buying them. Most of the items I use everyday are mass produced. I am open to supporting crafters and their work; I know they put a lot of time and effort into the things they make and they do deserve recognition for that.

Buzek and Stevens notes

BUZEK

I think that Buzek sees art using craft media in many cases. I feel like she sees craft as a use of certain mediums like beads or ceramics. I think the difference between the two is small and hard to describe. She says the lines blur between the differences between art and craft a few times in the article. She does seem to describe art as more elitist, has a special audience, is more structured, and privileged. Craft was described a having an everyday feel, handmade, sensual, and it "aims to integrate the Utopian intellectual ideals of art within practical objects of everyday life. Craft has a "specific role to play beyond materiality." Therefore, material does have something to do with the difference between art and craft but the differences do go beyond that. It was difficult for me to really see a difference. I did feel like art was described as more structured throughout the article whereas craft had it's own free feel to it. On page 13 it says "craft theory cannot be assimilated neatly into that of contemporary art, but instead merits its own language and measures."

I think Buzek's main concern regarding art and craft is showing the reader of her book that there is a clear difference between the two. I don't think she necessarily likes that the two are being blurred together as one. Also, I think she wants people to see that the differences go beyond the materials used in craft like I stated above. That's the main issue she's trying to get at. Also, I think she may be trying to get to the differences between art and fine art as well. Fine art is mentioned a few times in the article.

avant garde-refers to people or work that are experimental or innovative, particularly in respect to art, culture, and politics

• Important because I knew it was an art movement and therefore would be important when discussing the difference between art and craft. I have to know what the subject is before comparing it to something else.

STEVENS

I believe that Stevens thinks that the way people view craft differs, especially in relation to age. He talks about Generation X and the baby boomer generations a lot. He compares the type of craft that once was and how it has evolved. "Gradually, it is becoming apparent that the domain of craft is at a generational crossroads and is presently expanding to embrace aspects of cultural hybridization that have not previously been recognized or articulated within the status-quo craft community" (43). Then Steven's goes on talking about how today, people who craft are not sticking to tradition. They are using the Internet to discuss craft, sell craft, and create new craft. Also, DIY is new for this generation. I think he does a good job explaining this new type of craft as well as looking at the baby boomer generation and describing that craft as well. He tries to validate both types, but I think he leaves it open to the reader to decide if the Gen-Y and Gen-X craft is "real" craft.

Like stated before, the different generational groups are the baby boomer generation and the Gen-X generation. "Just as the baby boomers' countercultural in the 1960s was a response to the conformity of the 1950s, DIY craft is not at all interested in American craft's hierarchies, power structures, or institutional methods for confirming status" (53). The new generation has more choice and isn't interested in as much structure as the baby boomer generation. I see that difference too and also, see the internet as a clear difference. Now craft is being made, sold, and ideas are being bounced around thanks to this new medium.

third wave feminism- a term identified with several diverse strains of feminist activity and study whose exact boundaries in the historiography of feminism are a subject of debate, but often marked as beginning in the 1980s and continuing to the present.

• This is important because it was mentioned more than once in the text. I knew what feminism was, but was curious about this because of the fact that it was mentioned a few times.

Jackson and Terkel

Part One:

Jackson believes that craft has a place outside of work, but at the same time, that it's almost an extension of the regular, paid, work that people do. When flow is described, the article tells us that flow is found in work three times more than in leisure time. Productive leisure also describes the connection between work and leisure too. Jackson seems to be most interested in what drives people to craft. These people don't get much profit from their work, especially when compared with the hours they put in. He gives an example of Glynn, the man who makes kayaks in his spare time. Jackson wants to pinpoint what intrinsic and extrinsic rewards, if any, drive the maker. I believe that his intended audience is probably other people that craft. Glynn's story, which is at the beginning of the article, is meant to bring in the type of audience that would be interested in a story like his.

Terkel is a radio host who also writes books. He talked to people in various jobs, from airplane stewardesses to salesmen to doctors. Terkel seemed to be interested in the rewards or more specifically, lack of reward, in the workplace. Right off the bat he describes work as negative. "This book, being about work, is, by its very nature, about violence- to the spirit as well as to the body" (xi). He definitely believes that craft is in work. It's the reasons that keep someone going at work beyond the paycheck. Terkel's audience can be just about anyone. He covers such a wide range of social class (in reference to jobs) that just about anyone can find something to relate to in his article.

Part Two

In these readings the industrial revolution and machines were talked about. This obviously corresponds with the Marx and Morris articles. In Terkel's article he talked to line workers and said something about all line jobs being kind of the same. Also, he talks about the automobile being "evil". The automobile and the construction of one goes back to machines, factory jobs, and mass production. Marx and Morris describe these things as evil and ugly. Both Hauser and Atwill were kind of introductory texts. They describe craft, rhetoric, and where they came from. The information in Hauser and Atwill are pieces that will be found in all the readings that I think we will read in this course. Without their pieces I wouldn't have a more broad view of craft that I have now. Sennett writes about people's experiences at work which directly related to both Terkel and Jackson. Like stated above, I believe that they think craft and work relate. Salomon and slojd also connects work and craft. Because slojd is used as a sort of education, that can be translated as work for a lot of students.

Part Three

I am interested in how work and leisure/craft relate to each other. I think it relates to almost all people, including me. If I can find a connection between work and leisure/craft, my future work life will be much more enjoyable. I want to be a teacher one day and although right now, I fully enjoy going to schools and helping out teachers, I think some days all people are burnt out. I'm interested in finding a way or a craft that will help me get through the days that I feel burnt out. Also, the value of craft is interesting. When everything's mass produced like it is today, crafting is something special. Learning more about that would be awesome. In the future I'd like to read and talk about how craft relates to technology. Especially the internet and entertainment in general.

Salomon and Sennett Notes

SALOMON:

Salomon created slojd. Slojd: no precise English equivalent; implies skill in work rather than craft as a productive activity

• Didn't want to train manual laborers/artisans. Goal was to give every student well-regulated habits of mind and body

Slojd became an international phenomenon; influence felt in shop classes, architecture, design, crafts

A slojd and artisan work differ from each other (slojd doesn't contain any economics)

Educational/ practical slojd differ from each other, but at the same time go hand in hand. You need one to have the other.

Aim of educational slojd: to utilize the educative force which lies in rightly directed bodily labor, as a means of dvlping the pupils' physical and mental powers which will be sure/evident gain to them for life

• Skills that will matter in the future for them; related to future career
• Seeks to work on lines which insure the dvlpment of the pupil in certain definite directions

Wood-slojd is the most popular type of slojd; special kind: slojd-carpentry

• Best fulfills the conditions required when instruction in slojd is given w/ edu ends in view
• Adapted to mental/phys powers of children
• Making useful articles--sustains genuine interest in the kids

Slojd carpentry and regular carpentry differ; things made in slojd-carp are smaller, different form, etc.

• Similarities in material (wood) and SOME tools

Slojder works under more primitive conditions than the regular carpenter

No division of labor in slojd-carp

Work of edu slojd must be done independently and accurately in order to be effective

• Teacher must be careful not to intrude too much (pedagogy that is popular today too; let the kids be independent and equals)

Children sit in numbered benches, use numbered tools; lots of order

Teacher must circle around the room offering advice and assistance (normal for classrooms today), talking must be avoided (also normal)

Their work is given a "value" (aka a grade)

SENNETT:

Pragmatism addresses the quality of experience as well as sheer facts on the ground

Focused on a socialism that is based on improving the quality of people's experience at work instead of advocating a politics that transcends labor itself

Work which remains permeated with the play attitude is art

To work well ppl need freedom

Two types of experience

1. Erlebnis: event or relationship that makes an emotional inner impress
2. Erfahrung: an event, action, or relationship that turns one outward and requires skill rather than sensitivity

These two types of experience are related and should not be divided

Craftwork emphasizes erfahrung

Parenting as a craft has become the modern common sense of parenting

Craft of making physical things provides insight into the techniques of experience that can shape our dealings with others

• Applies to making human relationships

Suppose a continuum b/w the organic and the social (part of pragmatism)

In Pandora's story: the physical tools do the damage; material goods compose the "beautiful evil" that she talks about

• Contains a contrary: a virtuous god who makes everyday things yet whose person is ugly and inglorious

Pride in work cause large ethical problems (ex: atomic bomb)

• To avoid this ask ethical questions during the work process

Marx and Morris Notes

MARX:

Machinery cheapens commodities; means for producing surplus-value

Machines vs tools vs simple machines; Marx sees differences b/w them

• Tools: man is the motive power
• Machine: motive power is something other than a man (ex: water, wind, animal etc)

Fully developed machines consist of 3 diff parts: the motor mechanism, transmitting mech, and the tool or working machine

• Tool/working machine is the part of the machinery with which the industrial rev of the 18th cent was started

Machine proper=mechanism that performs w/ its tools similar things that workmen did w/ tools too

Once tools had been converted from manual implements of man into mechanical apparatus of a machine, the motive mech also acquired and independent form entirely freed from the restrictions/restraints of human strength

• Drive many machines at once

Series of operations now can be made by one machine (ex: envelopes)

Many machines working side by side (ex: sewing factories) but there is still a sense of one-ness with that

• Working together for the same goal; "a number of machines of one kind constitute the organs of the motive mechanism"

Co-operation by division of labor=characteristic of Manufacture

• Now, combo of detailed machines

Subjective principle of the division of labor no longer exists in production by machinery

• Now, it is objective

"...how machinery, by annexing the labour of women and children, augments the number of human beings who form the material for capitalistic exploitation, how it confiscates the whole of the workman's disposable time, by immoderate extension of the hours of labour, and how finally its progress, which allows of enormous increase of production in shorter and shorter periods, serves as a means of systematically getting more work done in a shorter time, or of exploiting labour-power more intensely."

• Negative view on machines, factory, etc.

Modern factory system (characteristic of its use by capital): the automaton itself is the subject, the workmen are merely conscious organs....(p. 74)

Marx sees all of man's responsibilities and work being passed to a machine

Classes among factory workers:

1. those who are actually employed on the machine
2. attendants (almost always children)
3. those who look after the machines (engineers, mechanics, etc.) --> superior class

Humans aren't vital to the production of anything anymore "Since the motion of the whole system does not proceed from the workman, but from the machinery, a change of persons can take place at any time without an interruption of the work..." (pg. 75)

Old system of division of labor is gone (bc of machinery), it still hangs on in the factory as a traditional habit handed down from Manufacture---> reformed and estb in a more "hideous form by capital, as a means of exploiting labor-power"

"In handicrafts and manufacture, the workman makes use of a tool, in the factory, the machine makes use of him" (75).

• This is why this matters to Marx. Besides the fact that machines and factories are putting people into various classes, which Socialists don't like, the machines are making use out of a human. The machines are "beating" people in the cases that Marx highlights. Consequences of these problems are huge. First , factories could become so advanced that factory workers aren't needed, which is a loss of job and obviously would still effect people today, especially with the recession. Also, Marx is getting at the fact that humans are simply an "appendage" of a machine. No interest, creativity, or thinking goes into production now like it used to.

Refers to machines as "master" ---implies that humans are slaves to machines

Didn't see any solutions to the problem that Marx highlighted

MORRIS:

Art what it should be: "a help and solace to the daily life of all men"

• Closely bound w/ the general condition of society, esp. w/ the working class

Problem Morris wishes to highlight: people don't see art as what he thinks it should be (defintion above)

Non-obvious ex's of art: shapes/colors of household goods, arrangement of the fields for pasture, management of towns/highways

• Beautiful or ugly, elevating or degrading, pleasure or solace to the maker, etc -->Morris wants us to view art that way

Two types of art: intellectual and decorative

• Int: addresses itself to our mental needs; the only purpose of it is to feed the mind, there may be no materials involved
• Dec: also appeals to the mind, part of it is intended primarily for the service of the body

When arts are in a healthy condition there should be a connection b/w the two types of art

• Overlapped almost
• "the best artist was a workman still, the humblest workman was an artist."

Now, dec and int art are very seperated; by both the producers and the work produced

Those who follow int art are put into two sections

1. composed of men who have held a high place in their craft
2. hold their position of gentleman-artist either by accident of their birth or by possessing industry, business habits, or such-like qualities, out of all proportion to their artistic gifts

The work that these ppl produce is of little value to the world even if there is a thriving market for it; don't have a high position either (second type)--Morris sees them negatively

Very few type one's; they produce things of value-incredible amt of toil, pains, and anxiety to master their craft---Morris sees them very positively

Morris also sees a problem with society (ignorant of real art)

When art was healthy all men were basically artists

• inborn instinct for beauty which they put into their work habitually and made beautiful things

"But in these days, I have said and repeat, the whole people is careless and ignorant of art; the inborn instinct for beauty is checked and thwarted at every turn; and the result on the less int or dec art is that as a spontaneous and popular expression of the instinct for beauty it does not exist at all"

• ^thats the main problem Morris has. He's concerned about this bc he wants a healthy state of art instead of the way art is right now.

Morris thinks that dec. art is extinct--only exists int he conscious efforts of men of genius and talent

Civilization=the loss of romanticism (nature, etc.)

• This beauty of nature in our world (compensation for the loss of the instinct for beauty) is lost
• Ugly cities and ugly suburbs--no art

Morris doesn't believe that this loss of beauty in nature is necessary for civilization

"As long as the system of competition in the production and exchange of the means of life goes on, the degradation of the arts will go on"

• Similar to Marx

Talks about class as well (feudal systems)--he's a socialist like Marx

Art is influenced by the conditions of labor of the mass of mankind

• Art is man's expression of his joy in labor.

Three elements handicraft: variety, hope of creation, self-respect which comes of a sense of usefulness

If the lack of pleasure in handiwork is gone, the workmen becomes a slave/machine conscious of their own unhappiness

During this time period (gild) there was no great time pressure put on handiwork--could go at it leisurely/thoughtfully

• it did not submit the hand/soul of the workman to the necessities of the competitive market, but allowed them freedom for due human dvlpment

Markets/commerce/capitalism add to the loss of healthy art

• Ingenuity produced machines
• Basically the exact opposite of popular art that led to the Renaissance, etc

Machines were not replacing just painful work

Essential aim of manufacture is making a profit

Morris insists that no one is content with the loss of beauty from cities, etc.

Solution:

• large class of industrious people not too much refined (with a kind of comfort and education); basis of society
• from this class comes the captains of labor, directors of ppl's consciences religious and literary, and the directors of art

Basically Morris wants to change the class system in order to get healthy art back

Both of these articles had points that made it still relevant today, but I think that both of them want the classes in this country/other civilized countries to change in order to get back the way art and handicraft used to be. However, I don't know if that will ever actually happen. I think it's somewhat of a reach to try to change a country that has been based on capitalism since it's first days. Obviously this country is trying to make changes, but I don't know if many of the people that live in this particular country are willing to change in order to get art back.

English 240: looking at html

We're looking under the hood today. Wow, that's exciting. Really.

I can't believe how thrilling it is. Here's what's so great about it:

1. tags look like carrots,


2. internet nerd jokes make so much more sense now,


3. and staring at html code is how I'd like to spend my Friday nights.

Click here

Crafting

The difference between the time I spend crafting and the time I spend on other coursework that we've done so far is the levels of enjoyment that I get out of the activities. Even though the readings for this class have been much more interesting than the readings in the other classes that I'm taking right now, I associate them with work that I don't love because I do all my homework at the same time. Also, when I'm crafting I'm doing a specific craft that I really like doing. For example, this week I baked. When I'm baking I am enjoying myself because of all the scents and I usually like listening to music when I'm baking. Also, I am very attentive to my food and plan ahead. I'm very type A in the kitchen. I like setting everything out perfectly and making sure that I have all my ingredients all set up too. Sometimes when I'm baking I have to be very adaptive because certain times the recipes need a little changing. For example, when I was baking my s'mores bars, I thought the crust that I was making could have used a little more butter. Next time, I'll be able to remember that and add more.

Some of those same adjectives do relate to the ways in which I do my other coursework. When it comes to my studies I am type A there too. I like to get things done in a specific way. All my stuff is always laid out in front of me when I'm doing homework for this class or any of my other classes. The work for this class is done in a different medium than most of my other classes; in a blog. I do enjoy that change of pace. It gives me a new place to express my ideas and makes me a little more excited to do homework for this class than others.

CHAPTER 2

First use of "techne" is in the Odyssey

Ta peirata: end, limit, boundary

• Use of techne and ta peirata together: tie art to its boundaries

In ancient contexts, techne is never reducible to an instrument or a means to an end

Definitions of Techne:

1. Never a static normative body of knowledge-dynamis (power), a trick/trap, stable enough to be taught and transferred but flexible enought to be adapted
2. Resists id with a normative subject; never "private" knowledge, never confined to a specific human or god, not the product of a unique genius
3. Marks a domain of intervention and invention; appears when one is outnumbered by foes or overpowered by force

God and Goddesses of Art

Associated w/ gods/goddesses who are id-ed w/ invention, craft production, and the disruption of lines of power

• Either caught b/w dual identities, crossing and recorssing the boundary b/w human and the gods, or defined by power of transformation

Prometheus

• Characteristics: trickster to the tragic hero
• gift of the power of art and technology (fire) is credited w/ precipitating the divison of labor that brings about complex social orgs like a city
• the craftsman

Hephaestus

• patron god of fire and craft
• has curved feet-->polymorphic character (associates himself w/ a crab) caught b/w identities

Hermes

• Messenger god, associated w/ invention
• Cunning crafty intelligence--> trickster (part of techne)

Metis

• Power of metamorphisis (dual identities--part of techne)

Athena

• Armed goddesses who oversees city, the crafts, and the arts
• Androgynous figure (double identity? both male traits and female traits)

Hephaestus and the Bonds of Love and Art

• Shows how techne shifts a balance of power and reverses techne
• Hephaestus =cunning/trickster-like when he made the trap for Aphrodite and Ares (cheating on Hephaestus)
• His art transforms Aphro and Ares desire into bondage
• Moral summarizes the value of techne: even though Ares is a swift fast god and Heph has a handicap (his feet) craft helped Heph catch Ares

Power, Cunning, Intelligence, and Time

Earliest uses of techne (in Homer and Hesiod)-->convey the sense of trick or contrivance

Associated with apate: deception pg 53 describes many more associations

Foregrounded in the various uses of techne: economic value, location in culture

Techne has an important dimension in relation to subjectivity; Ex: used as nouns, verbs, etc

Techne used as a "class marker"--distinctions based on social classes

• As the artisan class specialized diff hierarchies dvlped within the class itself

Techne's value/class status dependent upon one's perspective

Metis-different kind of reasoning, "cunning intelligence" "flair, wisdom, forethought, subtlety of mind, deception, resourcefulness, etc."

• Applied to situations which are transient, shifting, disconcerting, and ambiguous

Kairos is the time associated w/ techne

Deploying an art at the "right moment" in situations is difficult/sign of a true rhetor

"Knowing what" and "knowing when" are the heart of kairos

Rhetoric may be defined as the faculty of observing in any given case the available means of persuasion

Arts of Resistance and Transformation

Bia and kratos refer to bodily strength

• Kratos power over" either subjects or another force
• Bia is associated with compulsion

Associated w/ fraud and sometimes set against the alternative power of persuasive speech
Ananke: necessity, but also force, constraint

Used with moira when referring to a limit or boundary that techne is challenging
Moira: generally associated to fate; however its meanings vary

References to moira as a redistributed portion are not confined to myth

Aporia: no path, no exit

Poros-way out

Images that depict artistic invention are topographical

• Refer to paths, places roads (poros denots a means or passageway)
• hodos: a way,road, method, system

CHAPTER 3

Techne is frequently defined against physis (nature), automaton (spontaneity), and tyche (chance)

Techne/ology, Science, and Ancient Medicine

Ancient techne doesn't allow us to use our common wisdom about sci/tech

• The concept of pure sci or tech didn't really exist in ancient Greek

Relationships b/w Greek science, dialectic, and rhetoric

• Ex: logoi (arguing both sides of an issue)

Science did matter to ancient Greeks

Arts of the physician and rhetor overlapped at many points

• Both known as technai

Traces of Aristotle's four causes (material, formal, final, and efficient) were consistent with earlier treatments of techne

Both Aristotle and Plato have differing conceptions of techne but agree on the primacy of philosophy

Epistemological boundaries are equivalent to social boundaries in techne as well as a sense of theoretical knowledge as a spectacle is part of

• Important in understanding the ancient conception of theoretical knowledge
• Theoria (theory)- concerned w/ sight but it is sight as a perspectival "gaze" not in regards to vision

Empeiria most clearly distinguishes techne from ancient speculative traditions

• Empeiria: experience, practice, craft

Aristotle insists that this capacity to recall, combine, and evaluate is the source of art and the critical difference b/w humankind and animals

The Interstices of Nature, Spontaneity, and Chance

Most persistent limit imposed on techne has been that of nature

• The boundary b/w nature and culture is the product of negotiation; nature's borders are a provisional stopping point in the negotiation

Aristotle depicts an esp complex relationship b/w art and nature

• Physis= completely dependent on techne

Aristotle also uses techne to distinguish form and matter-or formal and material causes

Art imitates the action of nature

• Like nature, art is "making for a purpose"

He also acknowledges that there must be at least two different kinds

• Art that determines the structure/dimensions of the house must be differ from the art used in making bricks and beams

Aristotle's def of physis is hard to define

To automaton=translated to "the self-acting, spontaneous"

• Reaches a limit of techne bc it often refers to a phenomenon/domain that does not yet admit human understanding or intervention

Tyche marks a limit of art, but it marks it in an intricate way

• Tyche=chance (also, act of god, act of a human being, agent or cause beyond human control)

Tyche often refers to a point of indeterminacy that cam be exploited by techne

• Also a limit of knowledge and indeter. that may be exploited

Aristotle's meaning of tyche shift slightly depending on their content (def's up above^^)

Fuzzy logic: everything is a matter of degree, something may "both be" or "not be"