Abstract
This chapter defines the concept of “craft” from both a philosophical and an institutional perspective. It will briefly survey the concept of craft from its early usage to more contemporary meanings, placing in context problems and issues that make craft an economic problem. Specifically, this chapter proposes a non-linear perspective on craft, focusing on the meaning-making relationship within human production, art, and concepts of skill and mastery. It then describes how craft has been defined by institutions, including the World Craft Council. The chapter concludes with a discussion of globalization, proposing why the evolution of global trends imposes a dynamic and ever-changing definition of craft.
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Notes
- 1.
“Craft” Oxford English Dictionary, 2017 Online Ed.
- 2.
Ibid.
- 3.
“Cliché ” Oxford English Dictionary, 2017 Online Ed.
- 4.
Although Weber’s concept of disenchantment is framed as a sociological condition (i.e., the retreat of magic and myth from social life through processes of secularization and rationalization), the term originates with Friedrich Schiller’s philosophical treatise on modern fragmentation and the role of aesthetics (Angus 1983).
- 5.
Weber conceptualized bureaucratized, rationalized modern society as an “iron cage” that limited the human capacity to live freely.
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Brulotte, R.L., Montoya, M.J.R. (2019). Defining Craft: Hermeneutics and Economy. In: Mignosa, A., Kotipalli, P. (eds) A Cultural Economic Analysis of Craft. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-02164-1_2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-02164-1_2
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