Handmade and DIY: The Cultural Economy in the Digital Age

@font-face { font-family: Cambria Math ; }@font-face { font-family: Palatino Linotype ; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Times New Roman ; }.MsoChpDefault { font-family: Cambria; }div.WordSection1 { page: WordSection1; } In recent years there has been growing consensus among academics and policy makers that cultural industries are key drivers of contemporary economic growth. For geographers and economists, the roles of agglomeration and knowledge flows are important factors that sustain the cultural industries. However, existing research focuses overwhelmingly on elite cultural industries in global cities. In addition, there has been little effort to account for new technologies that create a more complex landscape for the cultural economy by allowing cultural producers to collaborate, communicate, and operate from remote locations. This dissertation uses the independent (indie) crafting phenomenon to examine a grassroots, technologically driven alternative to elite cultural industries. In particular, the research employs mixed methods to examine agglomeration tendencies and networking in the digital age. The results of quantitative inquiry demonstrate that clustering and agglomeration are still defining features of the cultural industries in the digital age, but not in ways that are previously acknowledged. Independent cultural production clusters in second- and third-tier cities, suggesting that those places can use online resources to overcome geographic constraints to some extent. Following up with qualitative methods, this research finds that local support mechanisms such as business groups and small business resources reinforce clustering. Online communications tools also reinforce clustering. The Internet’s most important function is to help cultural producers find and organize information relevant to a local community. Although it is possible to make contacts on the other side of the world or access non-local information, the utility of those contacts and information is limited. The prevailing notion in current cultural economic literature is that technology decentralizes cultural production and increases the physical distance of market and social interactions. The dissertation argues, however, that the Internet provides a quicker, more efficient way for individuals to make contacts virtually, which then leads local connections and collaborations in “the real world.

The role of handicraft micro-enterprises as a catalyst for youth employment

There is a pressing need to equip South African’s youth with the means to develop their entrepreneurial potential. In this context, there is the need for the government to create a support mechanism to help integrate young people into the job market, through the handicraft Entrepreneurship. The objective of this study is to examine job creation, income generation and poverty alleviation opportunities in developing the microenterprise-handcraft linkage, with special attention to vulnerable sectors of society, the youths. However, the handicraft sector is performing at a level far below its potential in South Africa. This research study into the reasons behind such weak performance, its developmental aspects, and different implication shall be suggested on the contribution of handicrafts in eradicating poverty and maintaining a sustainable livelihood for the youths. The paper shows key findings from a literature review and from semi-structured interviews with local producers, supporters, and buyers of handicraft products in the Western Cape Province. The methodology used for this research is an exploratory approach using a qualitative data collection method. Finally, the study provides a comprehensive strategy on how to enhance the South African handicraft sector to better meet its needs as a micro-enterprise to create a better living for the people

How is Integrated Water Resources Management Working at the Local Level? Perspectives from the Black Volta Basin of the Lawra District, Ghana

In recent years, freshwater resources are under intense pressure to satisfy the needs of water users and it has become increasingly clear that the water problems of an area can no longer be resolved exclusively by the water professionals, and/or the water management institutions, alone. Current thinking is that integrated water resources management (IWRM) will solve the water problems. This paper examines the IWRM process in Ghana with a focus on how different institutions and users view the approach and the extent to which actors in the process interact using the Black Volta Basin (BVB) in the Lawra District of Ghana. Data for the study was collected through focus group discussions and in-depth interviews after a community institutional resource mapping approach has been used to identify stakeholders in the IWRM process. The findings reveal a complex web of interactions and networking that occur between and among different institutions and actors. Whereas there is strong interaction and networking among traditional leaders and also between external actors and local structures as well as that of resources owners and water users, that of existing interactions and networks between the traditional authority structure, the external agents and resource owners was found to be weak. The paper concludes that IWRM implementation in the basin has been constrained by the lack of a consistent understanding of the process and differences in real-life political and social, factors and recommends that planning for IWRM should not be done in isolation from practical differences at the local level. Keywords: Efficiency, Institutions, Integration, Management, Water Resources 

Towards Bamboo Commercialization in Ethiopia: Analysis of Technology Sources, Innovation and Entrepreneurship

The purpose of this thesis is to explore factors, actors and processes which condition innovative commercialization of bamboo in Ethiopia. The thesis particularly focuses on how traditional technologies and entrepreneurial innovations can be a source of knowledge and foundation for bamboo commercialization in Ethiopia. In tandem with technology development, it also attempts to shed light on how variations in value chains and market availability result in differential levels of commercialization. The research is designed based on the system of innovation and value chain approaches as main theoretical lenses. Data is collected from three districts and cities. The main data collection method was surveys of key value chain actors, complemented by expert interviews, case studies, group discussions and analysis of secondary data sources. Both qualitative and quantitative techniques including inferential statistics are used for analysis. The results demonstrate that traditional knowledge and technical skills are key sources of innovation for bamboo commercialization. These technical skills are gradually transferred from rural to urban and from traditional to semi-modern via recreational houses and furniture production. The research found that the major factors which significantly explain the differences in technical skills are bamboo income, use knowledge, market distance and management regimes. The study further reveals that there are diversity of enterprises which have a major role both in generation of innovation and production of value added products. Innovation performance is influenced by level of technology, financial access and business experience while economic performance is influenced by the age of the enterprise owner, their innovativeness, level of technology and location (urban functions). Institutional actors play an intermediary role at the production and processing levels in promoting bamboo sector development through training provision, policy development and linking actors along the value chain. Similarly, consumers are also key actors in the value chain and are the major drivers of bamboo commercialization. Rates of commercialization are found different among regions where areas with a better access to consumer markets reportedly engage more in commercial extraction and earn a correspondingly higher income from bamboo than regions far from centers of consumption. In summary, the empirical analysis depicts that innovative commercialization is the result of a combination of technological capability, entrepreneurial competency and market accessibility. Thus, future policy for bamboo resource commercialization and development should be geared towards establishing and nurturing a bamboo sector innovation system which in turn supports the development of technology-led resource commercialization and facilitates entry into the global value chain.Diese Dissertation hat zum Ziel, Faktoren, Akteure und Prozesse zu erforschen, welche die innovative Kommerzialisierung von Bambus in Äthiopien bedingen. Insbesondere wird in dieser Arbeit darauf eingegangen, inwiefern traditionelle Technologien und unternehmerische Innovationen eine Wissensquelle und ein Fundament für die Bambuskommerzialisierung in Äthiopien sein können. Zusammen mit der Technologieentwicklung wird auch dargestellt, wie Variationen in der Wertekette und der Marktverfügbarkeit zu unterschiedlichen Graden der Kommerzialisierung führen. Die Forschung basiert auf dem System von Innovations- und Wertekettenverfahren als grundlegende theoretische Aspekte. Die Datenerhebung erfolgte in drei Distrikten und Städten. Die Haupterfassungsmethode war die Befragung von Schlüsselakteuren in den Werteketten, ergänzt durch Experteninterviews, Fallstudien, Gruppendiskussionen sowie Analysen von sekundären Datenquellen. Sowohl qualitative als auch quantitative Verfahren einschließlich der Interferenzstatistik dienen der Analyse. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass traditionelles Wissen und technische Fertigkeiten Schlüsselquellen für Innovationen in der Bambuskommerzialisierung sind. Diese technischen Fertigkeiten werden nach und nach vom Ländlichen zum Städtischen sowie vom Traditionellen zur Semimoderne überführt, was sich hauptsächlich durch den Erholungssektor sowie durch die Möbelherstellung zeigt. Die Forschung fand heraus, dass die Hauptfaktoren der Unterschiede in den technischen Fertigkeiten das durch Bambus erzielte Einkommen, das Wissen über dessen Verwendung, die Distanz zum Markt sowie Managementregime sind. Ferner zeigten die Untersuchungen, dass es eine Vielfalt von Betrieben gibt, welche eine Hauptrolle sowohl bei Innovationen als auch bei der Herstellung höherwertiger Produkte spielen. Die Innovationsleistung wird beeinflusst durch den Stand der Technik, durch finanziellen Zugang sowie Businesserfahrungen, während die ökonomische Leistung beeinflusst wird durch das Alter der Betriebsbesitzer, deren Innovation, den Stand der Technik, sowie durch die Lage (urbane Funktionen). Institutionelle Akteure spielen eine Zwischenrolle auf Produktions- und Verarbeitungsebene bei der Förderung der Entwicklung des Bambussektors durch Bereitstellung von Ausbildung, der Entwicklung von Methoden und verbindenden Akteuren entlang der Wertekette. Ähnlich sind auch die Konsumenten Schlüsselfaktoren in der Wertekette sowie Hauptantrieb für die Bambuskommerzialisierung. Die Kommerzialisierungsraten in den einzelnen Regionen sind unterschiedlich, wobei Gebiete mit besserem Marktzugang eine größere Kommerzialisierung bewirken und ein besseres Bambus-basiertes Einkommen erzeugen als Regionen, die sich fernab von den Zentren der Konsumption befinden. Zusammenfassend kann ausgeführt werden, dass die empirische Analyse zu dem Schluss kommt, dass innovative Kommerzialisierung das Ergebnis einer Kombination technischer Fähigkeit, unternehmerischer Kompetenz sowie der Marktzugänglichkeit ist. Folglich ist die zukunftsorientierte bambusbasierte Kommerzialisierung und Entwicklung so zu lenken, dass das Innovationssystem auf dem Bambussektor etabliert und gestärkt wird, wodurch auch die Entwicklung technologiegeführter Ressourcenkommerzialisierung gefördert sowie der Zugang zur globalen Wertekette begünstigt wird

A qualitative exploration of solo self-employed workers' career sustainability

Contemporary labor markets are characterized by rapidly growing numbers of solo self-employed workers who have their own businesses without employing employees. However, research on solo self-employment has almost exclusively focused on the decision to move into self-employment, thereby failing to consider the long-term career consequences of being solo self-employed. To complement existing research, we examined patterns of career self-management strategies among the solo self-employed in light of their career sustainability and enablers and barriers in their unique work context. We conducted 102 interviews among a heterogeneous sample of Dutch solo self-employed workers and identified four career self-management patterns: proactive crafters, adaptive crafters, survivors, and passive balancers. We found differences in their career sustainability (i.e., happiness, health, and productivity). Specifically, their happiness is overall sufficient while the level of productivity is mixed, and their health seems to be most problematic. This study contributes to the nascent scholarly literature on solo self-employment and career sustainability. Policymakers can use our findings to promote sustainable careers among the solo self-employed

Strategic Assessment of Indonesian Furniture Industry

Abstract. Indonesian furniture industry is known to be one of the most respective industry within Indonesia. Michael Porter introduce the theory of Diamond Model of a country competitiveness that includes 4 different aspects, which are firms structure, demand condition, supporting industry, and factor condition. Through This research author analyze the current industry condition of Indonesian furniture industry combined with the stakeholder analysis in order to determine the industry’s stakeholders. The research has an objective to give clear figure of the current industry conditions and steps that recommended in order to develop the current industry. The research is held in cooperation that involve 8 interviews with furniture companies from different sub-sectors with the validation methods of triangulation to draw the repetitive results from correspondents. The result of this research reveals Indonesian furniture industry is still lack behind in several points. The home demand condition that currently growing with the low interest of home-made products combined with the international brand penetration, decreased the internationalization power of Indonesian market. The findings urge the Indonesian furniture industry to develop its’ business process to be more adaptive and responsive to market and strengthen the current domestic market

The relationship between agency and empowerment : a case study of the Ikhowe craft group.

Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2010.There has been considerable debate in the gender and development literature on income earning opportunities and their empowerment potential for women, particularly rural women, in developing countries. In this, a critical question for the empowerment of women is, does access to resources, for example, enterprise income, translate into power and its various manifestations for women within their households? This study argues that access to resources alone is not a sufficient prerequisite for empowerment. Improved access to resources will only transform into empowerment outcomes if women are able to exercise their agency to achieve desired outcomes. The study, therefore, highlights the centrality of agency in the empowerment process. Agency acts as a link between resources on the one hand and empowerment outcomes on the other. Furthermore, the relationship between agency and empowerment is dialectical as the two concepts under investigation are constitutive of each other. Put differently, enhanced agency results in empowerment, which in turn feeds back to increased agency, leading to further empowerment. Hence, empowerment is presented as both an outcome of the exercise of agency and a driver of agency. The study frames the question of agency and empowerment within feminist theory of agency - Western, African and South African. Using a case study of the Ikhowe Craft Group in rural Eshowe, the study examines the role of agency in the empowerment process for rural women crafters in two ways. Firstly, through the feminist political ecology approach, it evaluates their ability to access the natural resource, Cyperus spp. for use in craft making. Secondly, it examines their individual agency within their households and their collective agency in the Craft Group. Within the overarching feminist research paradigm, a mixed methods research methodology was used, which entailed embedding quantitative data collection and presentation within qualitative research techniques. The empirical evidence suggests that the women crafters’ agency was enacted and empowerment achieved within a context of enablement and constraints, with gender culture and traditional leadership emerging as significant variables that mediate the rural women’s agency within their households and in accessing the raw material for their craft. Gender and culture intersect to influence how the women construct their identities, roles and responsibilities within their households. Despite the constraints of social structure, the women emerge as important agents of social change in their households. In addition, the study has revealed the private sphere to be a significant site of both the women crafters’ agency and subordination. Hence, any conceptualization of women’s agency and empowerment, particularly that of rural women, needs to be context-specific to be able to adequately capture the realities of the women that impinge on their ability to act

Everyday economics: ideas new and old from lay theories of economic life

This project explores divergences and parallels between lay theories of economic life as experienced and developed in two virtual worlds – Final Fantasy XI (FFXI) and Second Life (SL) – and academic theories from sociology and anthropology as well as economics. My intent is not a critique of economics, but a suggestion that other economic sociologies are possible, and to provide points of departure and ideas for such alternative configurations. Exploration of lay theories is organised around four key conceptual categories – value, exchange, money and markets – which were suggested by participants' accounts and economic organisation within each field site. Respondents' theories offer polyphonic, heteroglossic approaches to economic life that sometimes diverge substantially from academic conceptualisations. Lay theories examined in this research emphasising plurality and multiplicity – especially with respect to monies – going so far as to suggest a radical reorganisation of economies based on monies rather than markets. When lay theories from each category are pieced together, they reveal a social imaginary of boundless abundance, strong reliance upon practices as ways of knowing about and theorising economic life, and strange parellels with studies of “primitive” cultures. This dissertation is based on comparative ethnographies of two disparate virtual worlds, FFXI and SL, which offer different slant-wise views of contemporary capitalist, consumer societies. Final Fantasy XI is a proprietary massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) created, owned and maintained by Square-Enix, while Second Life (SL) is a free-form, nonproprietary, three-dimensional virtual world created and maintained in a laissezfaire fashion by Linden Lab. Fieldwork consisted of participant observation, one-on-one interviews, group interviews with FFXI respondents and analysis of fan-made media and corporate texts

How coworkers attribute, react to, and shape job crafting

Job crafting, or proactive changes that individuals make in their job design, can influence and be influenced by coworkers. Although considerable research has emerged on this topic, overall, the way job crafting is responded to by coworkers has received little theoretical attention. The goal of this article is to develop a model that allows for a better understanding of job crafting in interdependent contexts. Drawing on attribution and social information theories, we propose that when job crafting has a negative or positive impact on coworkers, coworkers will make an attribution about the crafter’s prosocial motive. This attribution in turn influences whether coworkers respond in an antagonistic or a supportive way toward job crafters. Ultimately, coworkers’ reactions shape the experienced affective work outcomes of job crafters. We also theorize the factors that moderate coworkers’ reactions to job crafting behaviors and the job crafter’s susceptibility to coworker influence