A Potential Source of Income to Support Rural Livelihoods

Abstract In this paper, we examine the potential of bamboo as a source of income and better livelihood for rural communities. We look at the importance of bamboo from a global perspective with special attention to its economic, social and ecological values. Using this approach, we observed that, bamboo is very ubiquitous, has a global presence and it is used for various purposes from toothpicks to dresses and construction of houses. We also found that, it is a lucrative business from which rural people with the proper and adequate skills and market value chains, could adopt to come out of the poverty trap

An aesthetic for sustainable interactions in product-service systems?

Copyright @ 2012 Greenleaf PublishingEco-efficient Product-Service System (PSS) innovations represent a promising approach to sustainability. However the application of this concept is still very limited because its implementation and diffusion is hindered by several barriers (cultural, corporate and regulative ones). The paper investigates the barriers that affect the attractiveness and acceptation of eco-efficient PSS alternatives, and opens the debate on the aesthetic of eco-efficient PSS, and the way in which aesthetic could enhance some specific inner qualities of this kinds of innovations. Integrating insights from semiotics, the paper outlines some first research hypothesis on how the aesthetic elements of an eco-efficient PSS could facilitate user attraction, acceptation and satisfaction

State and Crafts in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911)

This book, full of quantitative evidence and limited-circulation archives, details manufacturing and the beginnings of industrialisation in China from 1644 to 1911. It thoroughly examines the interior organisation of public craft production and the complementary activities of the private sector. It offers detailed knowledge of shipbuilding and printing. Moreover, it contributes to the research of labour history and the rise of capitalism in China through its examination of living conditions, working conditions, and wages

State and Crafts in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911)

This book, full of quantitative evidence and limited-circulation archives, details manufacturing and the beginnings of industrialisation in China from 1644 to 1911. It thoroughly examines the interior organisation of public craft production and the complementary activities of the private sector. It offers detailed knowledge of shipbuilding and printing. Moreover, it contributes to the research of labour history and the rise of capitalism in China through its examination of living conditions, working conditions, and wages

Integrating digital design and fabrication and craft production

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Architecture, 2009.This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections.Includes bibliographical references (p. 61-63).This thesis examines if methods of manual craft production can be utilised to overcome the indeterminacies of physical materials and processes that hinder Digital Design and Fabrication (DDF). Indeterminacies in physical materials and processes are considered to be errors that prevent DDF from achieving its stated goal of a seamless transition from digital model to physical artefact. One of the definitions of craft, by contrast, is "(potentially) error through and through...[where error is]... an incomputable deviation from the norm" (Dutta, 2007, p. 211). This concept of error as being 'incomputable' is analysed using theories from computation, systems theory and sociology to formulate a definition of material craft production for this thesis. Material craft production is then compared to the concept of digital craft and it is argued that digital craft is limited in its capacity to negotiate physical materials and processes. Tools from systems theory are then used to propose a model describing material craft production. This model is called the Sensing-Evaluating-Shaping (SES) model. The validity of the SES model is tested through case studies of material craft production. The SES model is analysed using systems analysis tools and a role for DDF is proposed within the SES model, giving rise to digital SES production. The ability of digital SES production to negotiate indeterminacies in physical materials and processes is tested through the fabrication of a series of increasingly complex physical artefacts.by Ayodh Vasant Kamath.S.M

Sustainability in design: now! Challenges and opportunities for design research, education and practice in the XXI century

Copyright @ 2010 Greenleaf PublicationsLeNS project funded by the Asia Link Programme, EuropeAid, European Commission

Woman and Child Industrial Labour in the Bombay Presidency.

Abstract Not Provided

‘Betek, Tali ngan Atap’ ‘Knots, String and Blades’: Production and Use of Organic Utility Objects by the Orang Ulu of Sarawak

The Orang Ulu people of the East Malaysian State of Sarawak comprise many indigenous groups. They live predominantly in the north-east of the State in highland rainforest areas and are both swidden farmers and hunter-gatherers. Many of the utility objects they use are manufactured locally from forest resources. As communications in the area have improved, new materials and technology have arrived and are influencing their traditional production. This thesis documents the production of material culture by some of these groups. Using a comparative approach, it examines the processes that feature in material preparation, the tools used, and the various styles of objects made and the designs chosen. During fieldwork the techniques used in the production of the documented objects were learnt by observer participation until they were fully understood and the fieldworker could replicate them. The study includes many illustrations and explanations of designs and manufacturing techniques. In addition the thesis discusses the changes that have occurred within these material culture assemblages. It considers these in relation to various issues,such as people’s identity concerns and the commodification of their local products. It relates the objects to their maker, user and usage, investigating labour co-ordination in the region and gender issues pertaining to them

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