This thesis answers the research question: What role do institutions play in the adoption and non-adoption of Information Systems (IS) innovations? In exploring this question, institutional theory is used to develop an interpretation of behaviour by Micro and Small Enterprises (MSE) related to the adoption and non-adoption of IS innovation within the Taxco Silver Handicraft Sector. The research categorised the emergent data into established Mexican institutions, which allowed for the analysis of institutionalised responses to the introduction of new social structures. There is a need to understand behaviour related to adopting IS innovations through the beliefs of local agents. Interpretivist literature was used to explore how the adoption of IS innovations is influenced by the local context. This research developed a theoretical framework that combines Scott’s (2008) three-pillars of institutions (regulative, normative and cultural-cognitive); with the Seo and Creed (2002) framework for exploring the institutionalisation of IS innovations. This theoretical framework allowed for the exploration of the contestation between institutional entrepreneurs (agents advocating the adoption of new social structures) and those resilient to institutional change. This research makes a number of key contributions to the field of study. The development of a new theoretical framework is designed to assist future researchers in exploring the institutionalisation process. The methodological contribution emerges from the demonstrating the value of ethnographic case studies within handicraft sectors in developing economies. The practical contribution of this research lies in increasing our understanding of how and why new social structures are developed.

This is a study of the curriculum identity of Icelandic craft teachers. The study is based on life history interviews with 42 teachers born between 1913 and 1960. The interviews traced a life long relationship with the subject they chose to teach. Particular attention was paid to how the teachers define their subject and how they identify with it. The information gathered was analyzed with reference to the development of crafts as school subjects in Iceland. The study describes in context the relationship that teachers have with their subjects and attempts to explain it in terms of gender and class. The curriculum identity of the teacher of these subjects is crucial as the subjects are not defined by external means such as a prescriptive formal curriculum or centralized assessment. Each teacher is therefore able to construct a personal curriculum. The curriculum identity of craft teachers is defined by gender and class. The Icelandic school system includes two craft subjects; textiles formerly know as girls' craft, and wood and metalwork, formerly known as boys' craft. In the late seventies the gender segregation was abolished by a policy of equal access to education. Still the subjects retain a gendered definition. This study details the strength of gendered traditions and the complex effects of gender equity policies. Class refers here to the hierarchy of academic and vocational, or intellectual/manual pursuits. Western school systems operate on a dichotomy between mind and matter, where association with matter and the manual is less prestigious. The life histories of craft teachers manifest the effects, as the teachers perceive themselves as a low status group within the school system. The composite life histories of this group of craft teachers outline the history of the school subjects in Iceland, a history that has not been documented. The main contribution of the study is to the definition of curriculum identity, the way in which teachers define themselves and are defined by the subjects they teach. The evidence given by these teachers suggests that teachers tend to see their curriculum identity as deeply rooted in their personal history, even in their family history. / Education, Faculty of / Curriculum and Pedagogy (EDCP), Department of / Graduate

The problem of this study is to determine to what extent crafts are being taught in the junior high schools, and the type and extent of training of those teachers teaching crafts in the junior high schools of Texas.

This paper presents the thesis that a major emphasis on craft activities in the creative art program for early adolescence is indicated as an aid in the adjustment of the child to the more mature status in which he finds himself. As a test, during the school years 1955-56 and 1956-57, children in grades six and seven at the W. W. Bushman School in the Dallas Independent School District, Dallas, Texas, participated in various projects in crafts as part of the course of study in art, which also included drawing and painting. A description and evaluation of these problems are the subject of this paper.

En 2003, le site de la Quebrada de Humahuaca, dans le nord-ouest de l’Argentine, a été déclaré patrimoine culturel mondial de l’UNESCO. Depuis sa nomination, le développement touristique de la région s’est intensifié et les offres destinées aux touristes sont de plus en plus présentes. L’artisanat de la région de la Quebrada de Humahuaca est devenu l’icône d’un savoir-faire local représentatif de la culture ancestrale du Nord-ouest argentin. Ainsi, les places des villes de la région accueillent d’importantes ferias artisanales et de nombreuses boutiques de souvenir. Bien que l’artisanat semble être mis en valeur dans la région, il s’agit bien souvent de produits industriels importés de Bolivie, ou semi-industriels produits en importantes quantités. Dans ce contexte, l’artisan producteur est devenu une figure vulnérable, par son indépendance et par son manque de visibilité sur la place publique. Aussi, dans la Quebrada de Humahuaca, la promotion et la valorisation de l’artisanat local ne vont pas toujours de pair. Dans ce mémoire, je cherche à comprendre quelles sont les stratégies déployées par les artisans pour revaloriser leur production, et comment le travail artisanal local est défini, notamment au regard des valeurs partagées par les producteurs. En basant cette recherche sur les récits de quelques artisans producteurs de la Quebrada de Humahuaca et sur ma propre expérience locale, en tant que touriste et étudiante dans deux cours d’artisanat, je discuterai de l’avenir de l’artisanat local et de la manière dont les artisans s’organisent pour permettre la conservation et la transmission des savoir-faire. / In 2003, the Quebrada de Humahuaca, located in northwestern Argentina, was declared a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site. Since its nomination, development of tourism in the region has intensified and there are a growing number of offers for tourists. The handicrafts of the Quebrada de Humahuaca region have become an icon of local craftsmanship that represents the ancestral culture of northwestern Argentina. Thus, the towns in the region are home to important craft ‘ferias’ and numerous souvenir shops. Although handicrafts seem to be valued in the region, the ones found there are often industrial products imported from Bolivia, or semi-industrial products produced in large quantities. In this context, the artisan producer has become a vulnerable figure, due to his independence and lack of visibility in the public arena. In the Quebrada de Humahuaca, promoting and valuing local handicrafts do not always go hand in hand. In this thesis I seek to understand what are the strategies deployed by craftsmen to enhance the value of their production, and how the local crafts are defined especially in regard to the values shared by producers. By focusing this research on the stories of some artisan producers in Quebrada de Humahuaca and on my own experience there, as a tourist and as a student in two craft courses, I will discuss the future of local crafts and how artisans organize themselves so as to conserve and transmit their know-how. / En 2003, el sitio de la Quebrada de Humahuaca, en el noroeste de Argentina, fue declarado Patrimonio Cultural de la Humanidad por la UNESCO. Desde su nominación, el desarrollo turístico de la región se ha intensificado, generando así un incremento en las ofertas para los turistas. La artesanía de la región de la Quebrada de Humahuaca se ha convertido en un ícono de la artesanía local representativa de la cultura ancestral del noroeste argentino. Así, las plazas de los pueblos de la región albergan importantes ferias de artesanía y numerosos negocios de artesanías. Aunque las artesanías parecen ser valoradas en la región, suelen ser productos industriales importados de Bolivia, o productos semi-industriales producidos en grandes cantidades. En este contexto, el artesano se ha convertido en una figura vulnerable, debido a su independencia y a su falta de visibilidad en el ámbito público. En la Quebrada de Humahuaca, la promoción y la valorización de la artesanía local no siempre van de la mano. En esta investigación busco entender cuáles son las estrategias implementadas por los artesanos para valorizar su producción y cómo se define el trabajo artesanal local, especialmente en lo que respecta a los valores compartidos por los productores. Basándome en las historias de algunos productores artesanales de la Quebrada de Humahuaca y en mi propia experiencia local, como turista y como estudiante en dos cursos de artesanía, discutiré el futuro de la artesanía local y cómo los artesanos se organizan para permitir la conservación y la transmisión de conocimientos técnicos.

The purpose of this thesis is to examine the production of flemish weaving done by the handicraft association Malmöhus läns hemslöjdsförening between the years 1960 - 1975. The thesis examines a group of flemish weaves to answer questions about how they were made, which material were used and how they were designed during the period. This study is supplemented ny a study of annual reports, which describes the associations work during the period. This is to put the flemish weaves into a wide context where the purpose and function of the flemish weave are analysed. The study also aims to discuss the development and ideas in the association, and how thoes thoughts changes shaped the use of the flemish weaves in the association.  The result of this thesis shows how the production of flemish weaves during the period was influenced by variation and renewal. This is shown in the technical variation and a modernisation with abstract designs. The study has also shown the purpose of the weaves as products for mediation. In relation with the study of annual reports, the reports put the flemish weaves in a wider context as a popular technic for weaving courses in the association. In conclusion the results show a development, where new conditions and competition made the association strive for new products where "hemslöjd" was made into an important trademark.

The paper examines the work and production of Swedish ceramist Isak Isaksson (born 1949) from the aspects of emotional connection to materials, work processes, development and perceived meaning in relation to extraordinary craftmanship and the production of crystalline glazes. Isaksson has worked as a ceramist since the mid 1970s, starting with basic, functional stoneware goods but gradually moving towards the creation of art objects. His works, consisting of simple, traditional vessel shapes thrown to perfection – in combination with highly advanced crystalline glazes, have earned him recognition in Sweden and internationally.        While investigating Isaksson’s love for the intuitive, ancient technique of throwing, the paper also highlights his use of sophisticated chemical glazing methods and digital technique for creating, learning, inspiration and communication. Five of Isaksson’s contemporary pieces with crystalline glazes are studied with a combination of semiotics, associations and open senses.

The plight faced by unemployed rural communities in South Africa and particularly the women folks of Winterveldt does not differ much from other rural areas globally in terms of poverty and the need for development. In the light of this problem, the study attempted to answer the main research question guiding it, namely, what is the role of Vocational Education and Training programmes for unemployed women in Winterveldt? Few, if any, studies in South Africa have investigated how unemployed women with little formal education engage in Vocational Education and Training programmes for purposes of employment creation, environmental awareness and cultural preservation. This thesis presents three streams of Vocational Education and Training programmes that were introduced in Winterveldt, Pretoria, namely, the embroidery, vegetable gardens and beadwork. Using a multi-focal theoretical framework consisting of empowerment, human capital, feminism, and critical pedagogy theories, the study investigates whether the programmes reduced women’s vulnerability to poverty in post-apartheid South Africa. To carry out the investigation, the study employed a multiple case study research design based on an interpretive paradigm. In addition, the researcher using individual and focus group interviews, observations and document analysis was able to acquire qualitative data. The data were collected from 17 unemployed women, seven from embroidery stream, five from vegetable garden section and five from beadwork division as well as three coordinators. All the interviewees were selected purposively because they were deemed information rich with regard to the programmes of their studies. Data were analysed manually through hand coding that led to the emergence of the research findings. The research findings were categorised into various ideas that were eventually used to form the themes to this study. The research findings revealed the followings:  That all human beings have the capacity to realise their potential in their own way;  That women with little or no formal learning, usually go unnoticed in any systematic way;  That despite being unnoticed, women have achieved success by using their own hands and available resources to create artefacts or produce crops to turn their impoverished situation around; and  That Vocational Education and Training programmes serve as a primary livelihood strategy for unemployed women who had no alternative means of employment. In conclusion, the research findings are a reminder of the true African spirit that says; Rutang bana ditaola, le se ye natšo badimong, broadly translated as teach insights into the secrets of life to the young ones; you are not to take them with you when you depart to the land of ancestors. Finally, this study proposes a partnership framework as a formation that could enhance the performance of the women participants in the area of Winterveldt. The idea is that by sharing their knowledge and expertise the unemployed women who participate in the various community-based Vocational Education and Training programmes can achieve far better results than when they work in silos. / Educational Studies / Ph. D. (Education)

No description available.

The Sami people have struggled for centuries to maintain their culture in spite of pressures against it from colonialism. The formal education systems of Norway and Finland have acted in discord with Sami decision-making since their inception. In response to this lack of decision-making power, there is a dynamic internal process at work; Sami people have begun to take control of their own schooling. / This thesis qualitatively examines the processes of curriculum development and implementation for wood handicraft programs at the Sami colleges in Guovdageaidnu, Norway and in Anar, Finland, and details the most significant educational and political factors involved in the transmission and production of indigenous knowledge associated with Sami handicraft. Factors associated with the teaching of Sami handicraft in the form of increasing commercialization, generalization and mechanization in formal duodji education and the stereotyping of Sami cultural imagery pose potential risks to appropriate transfer of Sami cultural knowledge. This thesis will show that the teaching of Sami handicraft (duodji) is an educational and political tool that helps develop and define modern Sami culture. Accordingly, attempts by the Sami colleges to incorporate greater indigenous knowledge have resulted in the implementation of modern indigenous curriculum that promotes cultural knowledge through the teaching of Sami handicraft.