ANTH 196V Radical Craft

Examines how making and artisanship can be harnessed to solve challenging social, political, and environmental issues. Examines anthropology's historical role in creating a dichotomy between "art" and "craft," as well as contemporary ethnographic work that examines craft practices from weaving to pottery to the creation of mask trees for mutual aid during a time of global pandemic. Weekly topics include research-creation, "craftivism," speculative design, Indigenous art worlds, and responses to the environmental and social ravages of fast fashion. Students select a pressing social problem and then complete a hands-on, craft-based project of their choice; no prior skills or talents are required.