Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences (HiOA): Open Access Journals
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When Wood Cladding Degenerates: Lessons on durability from traditional wood claddings after long weathering in real conditions
No full textFor several decades, the mechanisms of deterioration of wood exposed outdoors have been scrutinized to ameliorate the performance of this versatile material when used for purposes such as house cladding. The performance of cladding seems to depend highly on the durability of wood, in turn connected to water uptake, which can vary greatly. How long a cladding can function is particularly complicated to define because of its paradoxical role as a sacrificial and aesthetic layer. However, thanks to reparations and maintenance, many traditional claddings are still preserved. They have been produced and maintained with local resources and show that low-processed wood can be durable in outdoor conditions. The contrast with modern approaches, such as wood modification or importation of durable species, raises the question: what durability of wood is concretely required for cladding purposes? The exhibition shows characteristics of wood weathered for up to hundreds of years, facilitating an understanding of the impact damage can have on the performance of cladding. The samples, issued from traditional French and Scandinavian facades, illustrate how exposure level influences degradation, confirming the role of rot and revealing the ones of erosion and abrasion in the degeneration of wood cladding. Both Alder and Pine seem to have the potential to perform naturally well as cladding for longer than it takes for the trees to regenerate. Traditions might teach us how to use local wood in a durable way if we consider biodegradation as an opportunity to build without creating waste, rather than as a threat
A ‘reverse’ academic drift? : Changes in Swedish educational Crafts
No full textThe prerequisites for formal training in Swedish educational Crafts have changed over time under the influence of two long-lasting societal processes: academisation and digitalisation. In different, yet interconnected ways, these processes of change are challenging the materiality, the making and the action-based knowledge that characterise educational Crafts. The paper presents how primary school teachers’ view the influence of academisation and digitalisation in their work and explores the consequences that change processes hold for the teaching practice in Crafts. The study is based on qualitative interviews with Craft teachers whose graduation year was between 1983 and 2021. Theoretically, Craft is considered to be a living ecology in an educational system. In the analysis, academic drift on various levels is combined with media-ecology concepts to clarify the diffusion of academisation and digitalisation in both time and space. The findings show academic drift leading to increased text-based knowledge production on several levels, yet also an unexpected weakening of action-based knowledge in Crafts. Balancing student and staff drift is further shown to result in the avoidance of written text in favour of digital visual, oral and bodily mediations in the production of knowledge. The study’s overall results question an ongoing ‘reverse’ academic drift and what is at stake in the Crafts ecology’s efforts to achieve balance.The prerequisites for formal training in Swedish educational Crafts have changed over time under the influence of two long-lasting societal processes: academisation and digitalisation. In different, yet interconnected ways, these processes of change are challenging the materiality, the making and the action-based knowledge that characterise educational Crafts. The paper presents how primary school teachers’ view the influence of academisation and digitalisation in their work and explores the consequences that change processes hold for the teaching practice in Crafts. The study is based onqualitative interviews with Craft teachers whose graduation year was between 1983 and 2021. Theoretically, Craft is considered to be a living ecology in an educational system. In the analysis, academic drifton various levels is combined with media-ecology concepts to clarify the diffusion of academisation and digitalisation in both time and space. The findings show academic drift leading to increased text-based knowledge production on several levels, yet also an unexpected weakening of action-based knowledge in Crafts. Balancing student and staff drift is further shown to result in the avoidance of written text in favour of digital visual, oral and bodily mediations in the production of knowledge. The study’s overall results question an ongoing ‘reverse’ academic drift and what is at stake in the Crafts ecology’s efforts to achieve balance
MOSAIC: designing context-appropriate methodologies for mapping craft skills
No full textCraft teaching and learning are evolving today at an unprecedent pace, driving the need for skills that increasingly fuse tradition with innovation. However, mapping craft skills is complex, due to both the multiplicity of factors determining skill development and the uncertainty surrounding future developments. In this paper, we present the methodological approach designed for the MOSAIC project,
an ambitious Erasmus+ that addresses the need for skills in arts and crafts through research, creation of innovative craft training, and the establishment of a craft observatory. Firmly grounded within the field of craft science research, the methodology is rooted in the theory of practice and deploys a participatoryprocess to further explore crafts skill needs. However, to the purpose of this article, we focus on a particular methodological aspect, that is, how we use cultural mapping to explore the complex craft skillecosystem and analyse the rich data sets collected through a mixed set of instruments. Cultural mapping involves the systematic collection, documentation, and analysis of information about cultural assets – here: craft skills – within specific geographic areas or communities. In MOSAIC, we use cultural mappingas an approach to establishing an analytical continuum between top-down (e.g. legislation) and bottom-up (e.g. industry) approaches to the analysis of skill needs in MOSAIC partner countries. This approach isa good example of a context-appropriate research strategy that reaches beyond the borders of disciplines. As such, it fosters a holistic approach to craft science research that speaks to craft researchers, educators, and policymakers
Twisting Clay : Creative Research to Explore the Complex Rheology in Ceramic Extrusion
No full textThis paper details practice-based research exploring new creative possibilities involving the ceramic extrusion process. The paper begins by providing a short overview of the extrusion technique, its characteristics and some contextual coverage of the process. The paper then describes how both tacit knowledge and theoretical material understanding have been used to overcome technical challenges through iterative research cycles and how, ultimately, the aesthetic qualities of the extrusion process have been used to develop a body of creative work. A key theme of the research is how digital fabrication technologies can be used in toolmaking scenarios to deliver innovation with a process that has long been used in craft ceramics but has remained somewhat underutilised
Craft knowledge and sustainability : a case study in historical cultivation methods
No full textHistorical gardens and green cultural environments maintain and transmit parts of our biocultural heritage. The gardener\u27s maintenance and cultivation work affects both the content and our experience of these environments. While modern management methods in many cases are necessary to fulfil requirements for the work environment and efficiency, we want to investigate the extent to which alternative/traditional working methods can contribute with other qualities and with solutions for more sustainable management. Garden and Landscape Crafts bachelor\u27s programme students at the Department of Conservation are practicing a lost craft skill by participating in a comparative cultivation experiment to gain an understanding of historical methods and their relation to the present, as well as the future development and revitalisation of sustainable historical environments
A part of the problem: An exploration of YouTube videos about depression
No full textIn recent years, ordinary individuals with diverse health conditions have increasingly turned to social media platforms to share their experiences with illness. This trend has raised concerns regarding the informational value of these expressions, as well as the motivations behind them and their impact on viewers. This article is a critical examination of the textual characteristics and potential appeal of YouTube videos about depression uploaded by young Norwegian women who have personally experienced the disease. The discussion is grounded in a multimodal analysis of six videos. Utilizing Norman Fairclough’s concept of media discourse, the article explores three dimensions of these video blogs (vlogs): the representation of depression, their interaction with viewers and the identities of the vloggers. The analysis reveals that the vloggers do not disseminate misinformation about the symptoms of depression. Their statements align with clinical discourse. However, they remain vague about the disease’s underlying causes and do not reflect upon how social structures might influence their mental life. The relationship between the vloggers and their audience is characterized by intimacy and mutual support. Regarding their identities, the vloggers present themselves as nurturing women who aim to combat stigma and assist viewers in overcoming their mental challenges. However, their personas are not strictly maternal; rather, they exude a more glamorous appearance with makeup and long eyelashes. As potential role models for their audience, they inadvertently contribute to the societal pressure of maintaining a flawless image, a pressure that has intensified in the era of social media. Notably, research consistently indicates that young women often grapple with negative body image, which frequently intersects with depression. In other words, the depression vlogs are potentially part of the problem they try to solve
Psychodrama & eudaimonic well-being – potentials in playful and aesthetic experiences
No full textThis article explores how psychodrama might contribute to promote well-being and thus support goal nr. 3 in UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The study utilises a case-study design, examining the individual case study of “Fiona” who was a participant in a non-clinical psychodrama group. Fiona’s experiences from participating in this group are investigated through a thematic based analysis to address the following question: How might engagement in psychodrama practice promote eudaimonic well-being? In this study we broadly define eudaimonic well-being as human flourishing and as a movement towards growth, self-realization, development of one’s best self and meaningful purpose in one’s life. Our inquiry uses the theory-guided dimensions of eudaimonic well-being developed by Carol Ryff as an analytical lens. The results reveal that participating in the psychodrama group supported Fiona’s eudaimonic well-being mostly according to the following dimensions: autonomy, personal growth, positive relations with others, and self-acceptance. When analysing how dimensions of eudaimonic well-being were promoted, we found three main themes: playfulness, visual symbolism and psychodramatic role-playing techniques. The study thus shows that engagement in psychodrama is well suited to nurture human growth and development as an element of promoting good health and well-being.
Cover image: Drawing by "Fiona" (anonymous). Published with permission
Research Literacy and Teaching: The Peculiar Case of Research about Teaching about Research
No full textIn recent times, the relationship between research and teaching has often been framed in terms of experimental investigations demonstrating what are effective pedagogical techniques. However, this is only one of several influential models of that relationship. While research literacy plays a key role in all of them, these models vary according to the type of research knowledge and skill felt to be of value to teachers, and in how teaching and education are conceptualised. This can be illustrated by the diverse forms of educational action research, and by different interpretations of “reflective practice”. To further explore the role of research literacy, I examine the case of research on teaching about research methods, addressing the following questions: What role does pedagogical research play in research methods teaching? What might this tell us about the relationship between research and teaching more generally? What does it say about the notion of research literacy
Old Wine in New Wineskins: Professionalism and Managerialism in the Performance Appraisal Interviews of Pastors in the Church of Norway
No full textPerformance appraisal interviews are a distinct feature of modern work organisations. A generic organisational script, appraisals have also been adopted by traditional professions within old religious institutions. Based on the theory of institutional logics, this article aims at providing new knowledge about the interplay of professionalism and managerialism in pastoral appraisals. It addresses the following research question: How do professional and managerial logics intersect in performance appraisal interviews of pastors in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Norway? This study clarifies the function, contents and ambiguity of appraisals by interviewing pastors and their leaders and analysing their experiences and expectations of appraisals. The author discusses how ideal-typical professional and managerial logics are demarcated and hybridised in appraisals. With the church in a state of transition, this study shows how the pastor profession constructs itself in appraisals by drawing on both logics yet primarily safeguarding professionalism
Investigating the Mechanism of the Effect of Nature-based Architectural Components on Residential Satisfaction
No full textThe development of multi-unit urban housing, especially in the metropolises of Iran, does not take into account the effects of cultural factors on the perceived quality of housing architecture. Since the community is diverse in metropolises, especially on a sub-culture scale, it is impossible to provide housing development strategies and practical actions concerning the factors related to this scale of culture. The compatibility of lifestyle at the national or structural level with housing can be considered a general strategy to solve this problem. Based on the position of nature in the foundations of the Islamic lifestyle, it is possible to accommodate humans’ significant needs through inspiration from nature. This paper intends to investigate the mechanism of the effect of nature-based architectural components (NBAC) on residential satisfaction (RS) from the Islamic lifestyle perspective to apply the findings in architectural planning and programming processes. The results demonstrate that as adherence to the Islamic lifestyle increases, residential preferences related to the formal and semantic dimensions of NBAC also increase. Qualitative deficiencies in these components cause a decrease in perceived quality and, consequently, RS. Therefore, high residential preferences regarding semantic and formal components lead to the intensification of deficiencies in qualitative perception. In such conditions, a large part of the RS is due to residents’ adaptive behaviors. Therefore, measuring RS based on accommodating residential needs cannot be considered an objective criterion to determine housing architecture quality to test the fit of housing development patterns with residential needs. This proves the necessity for the measurement of the perceived quality of housing architecture based on the main influential factors involved, which are NBAC