Also the person using this as an example of a useless course that should not appear on a college curriculum is quite the slow thinker. In my day, the canonical example was "underwater basket weaving," which at least has the advantage of adding a level of difficulty that basket weavers would almost certainly never bother with.
Isn’t it interesting how these things go round? But yes, I can imagine the medieval basket weaver being asked to work underwater. These modern people… they’re a bit weird, you know.
I would love to do this course! As someone about to begin a research degree on women in the early modern cheese trade, I totally get the value of making and doing things for all the reasons you detail above, and for this reason have started to make cheese at home. Already this physical action of making has given me some ideas for sources that I hadn't considered before. Getting hands in a vat of curds is very relaxing anyway but also a way of getting a bit closer - albeit superficially at the moment - to the people and processes I am trying to understand.
I once had a colleague who used similar shorthand to the 'Medieval Basket Weaving', although his was 'Existential Pottery'. Thing is, if that was a course I'd do that too.
To make up a course on ‘Existential Pottery’ I would definitely need a Philosopher to collaborate with. If someone else came up with it, though, I would definitely take it too!
And I love how your experience cheesemaking it feeding directly into your ideas for research. For me, it went the other way around. I was never a very practical child so I was always more for reading and writing than doing, then over the years, I’ve become obsessed with the doing parts: how things feel and look, their weight and the traces left of how they were made. Your PhD is going to be so much richer for your practical experiences!
As an anthropology undergrad in a place known for its long-needled pine trees, we had the after-hours opportunity to learn how to traditionally weave a small basket from those needles and local grasses. 11 years on, I still have that little (3x3x2 inch) basket that I keep spare change in, and it makes me smile every time I remember it.
Loved reading through this and would also take this course - here's to learning!
That is fantastic! I love the ways that handmade things don’t just exist in the world: they link us back to that process and the time of our lives connected to it. It makes me wonder how much of a difference that made (and still makes in many communities today) to people’s understanding of the world, when most of what they use every day has those ties to other moments in their life, to learning skills from others or being in a different moment. Your experience sounds beautiful and I’m glad that somebody at your college thought it was a good idea to create that opportunity. To learning!
If we can find another 14 people, I could probably persuade somewhere to run it :)! I'd definitely need to hire in help to actually teach the basket weaving though :D
Ah, it’s “Women’s Work” but for baskets! This was delightful.
Thank you! And yes, it is amazing (and disturbing) how many things the lens can be applied to.
I would take that course.
Terrific!
Also the person using this as an example of a useless course that should not appear on a college curriculum is quite the slow thinker. In my day, the canonical example was "underwater basket weaving," which at least has the advantage of adding a level of difficulty that basket weavers would almost certainly never bother with.
Isn’t it interesting how these things go round? But yes, I can imagine the medieval basket weaver being asked to work underwater. These modern people… they’re a bit weird, you know.
I would love to do this course! As someone about to begin a research degree on women in the early modern cheese trade, I totally get the value of making and doing things for all the reasons you detail above, and for this reason have started to make cheese at home. Already this physical action of making has given me some ideas for sources that I hadn't considered before. Getting hands in a vat of curds is very relaxing anyway but also a way of getting a bit closer - albeit superficially at the moment - to the people and processes I am trying to understand.
I once had a colleague who used similar shorthand to the 'Medieval Basket Weaving', although his was 'Existential Pottery'. Thing is, if that was a course I'd do that too.
To make up a course on ‘Existential Pottery’ I would definitely need a Philosopher to collaborate with. If someone else came up with it, though, I would definitely take it too!
And I love how your experience cheesemaking it feeding directly into your ideas for research. For me, it went the other way around. I was never a very practical child so I was always more for reading and writing than doing, then over the years, I’ve become obsessed with the doing parts: how things feel and look, their weight and the traces left of how they were made. Your PhD is going to be so much richer for your practical experiences!
As an anthropology undergrad in a place known for its long-needled pine trees, we had the after-hours opportunity to learn how to traditionally weave a small basket from those needles and local grasses. 11 years on, I still have that little (3x3x2 inch) basket that I keep spare change in, and it makes me smile every time I remember it.
Loved reading through this and would also take this course - here's to learning!
That is fantastic! I love the ways that handmade things don’t just exist in the world: they link us back to that process and the time of our lives connected to it. It makes me wonder how much of a difference that made (and still makes in many communities today) to people’s understanding of the world, when most of what they use every day has those ties to other moments in their life, to learning skills from others or being in a different moment. Your experience sounds beautiful and I’m glad that somebody at your college thought it was a good idea to create that opportunity. To learning!
I would take this course as described!
If we can find another 14 people, I could probably persuade somewhere to run it :)! I'd definitely need to hire in help to actually teach the basket weaving though :D