Cultural implications of sustain-ability in craft and design

SITRA, the Finnish Innovation Fund, is pointing to three mega trends as the world’s major issues right now: The sustainability crisis, the technological development and the global interdependency with growing tensions (2016). The OECD and the Danish Agency for Science, Technology and Innovation (2016) also point to the issues connected to the environment, globalization and technology and claim that these “…

issues all require new technological breakthroughs for which the disruptive potential of research will need to be mobilized” (p. 73). They are “…calling for new ways of doing research” (p. 73), mentioning breaking down research silos, building new research methods, incorporating citizen science etc. and emphasizing the role of new technology with regard to finding solutions to the great challenges.

Friedman (2004) claims that designers are trendsetters and therefore have the power to influence the mainstream behavior through

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the trickle-down effect. The trickle-down effect, generally attributed to Georg Simmel, a German sociologist, suggests that the fashion preferences of the rich over time will be copied by the less rich and eventually become the preference of the poor. By designing sustainable products for the rich, the mainstream trends would then become sustainable over time. Trickle-down theory also suggests that once the poor have adapted to the new trend, the rich will want to differentiate themselves by adopting new preferences (Simmel, 1904). As explained by Attfield the trickle-down theory has been questioned by curators of an exhibition named Street Style at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, which was attempting to reveal that the so called “street style” has a “bubble-up” effect on the couture created for the rich (Attfield, 2000, p. 92). Whether a trend is started from the “upper” levels of the social hierarchy or the “lower” levels, it seems that glass designers and crafts people according to both theories could potentially influence the trends of a society, either as part of the “street style” segment that influences the trends through bubble-up effect, or as caterers to the rich trendsetting segment through trickle-down effect.

Trends and fads of a given historical period are subject to change, and the sustainable impact that is called for in our historical development, as argued in the previous chapter, is what Fry calls “a shift of paradigm” (2009, p. 215) rather than a new trend. The trend can contribute to development in the short run but cannot be relied on to supply the necessary lasting

changes in the practitioners’ as well as the consumers’ behavior.

Fry suggests that we need to redirect the agency of the present unsustainable world.

Redirection being “… a profoundly political proposition” … “and while revolution is refused, the radicality of what is actually proposed, if it is to gain any substantial foothold, requires mobilizing powerful arguments, delivering practical results and overcoming considerable resistance.” (p.

47). He goes on to argue, that “…no matter who or where we are, it is possible for us to redirectively advance sustainment by design” (p. 223). The Brundtland report in Fry’s view “was an argument for a mild reform of the existing paradigm of

‘economic development’”. In opposition to this definition, he proposes his own definition of “sustain-ability…a means to secure and maintain a qualitative condition of being over time” (p. 43). Thus, he supports the idea that bottom up action has leverage as opposed to the incentives generated from within the system that he claims will sustain the unsustainable world.

Walker, as we have seen in the previous section, is less exclusive when attributing the redirectional action to the theoretical foundations of design as well as the design profession. Fry’s point of view, if followed exclusively, risk missing opportunities of incremental cultural change by disregarding initiatives that occur from within the existing paradigm as invalid contributions.

Initiatives that promote incremental change towards sustainability from within the

Recycle. About Sustainability in Glass Craft & Design ● Maria Sparre-Petersen ● KADK 2016

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systemic incentives implemented through legislation and regulations are currently on both the UN and the EU agendas and even if the consequences of their work has so far been limited it is still raising awareness.

NGO’s (non-governmental organizations) and NFPs (not for profits) like e.g.

Greenpeace also contribute to generation of awareness by fighting to “save” the environment through activism and/or sustainable development projects.

Businesses increasingly incorporate sustainability into their portfolios.

Designing and crafting for the 99% as well as sustainable design have become a subject at renowned educational institutions worldwide e.g. Parsons New School (2016) and Design School Kolding (2016).

Crowdfunding projects for sustainability, makers’ movements, networking activities, local empowerment projects, slow living initiatives, co-creation initiatives, cross- and interdisciplinary collaborations, individuals attempting to live sustainable lifestyles etc.

are contributions. Glass design and craft education can make a contribution as well which I will get back to in section 5.2.

A variety of tools are already available that promote development toward circular economy. Certifications such as Fair Trade, C2C, ØKO, ISO 14001 etc., although they often exclude SME’s (small/medium enterprises), also help businesses promote sustainable benefits of their products, and consumers navigate in the sometimes confusing flow of products. Philanthropy is used by countries, businesses, organizations

and individuals with varying degrees of success. Nudging for sustainable causes is becoming more and more popular as an alternative to scare campaigns. Microloans can be used to allocate finances for startup of sustainable initiatives. Home sourcing can eradicate problems connected to an out-sourced production. Research, debate, experimentation, creative thinking, critical thinking, collaborating, discussing and rallying can be evoked to call attention to unsustainable practices and to develop sustainable alternatives. With regard to running sustainable businesses there are numerous methods and strategies available in book form as well as on line, that can help stay afloat of the current do’s and don’ts, e.g.

greenwashing, staying under the radar, life cycle approaches etc. e.g. Ottman (2011).

Concluding remarks

The various positions in the theoretical currents suggest strategies for implementing sustainable theories, methods and principles into practice and finding the balance between people, planet and profit. I presume, glass craft and design can contribute to sustainable development by joining forces with other fields, lay people, academia, politics, business etc. to form a global movement towards sustainability. “Cross-pollination” of insight through as many sources and channels as possible, connecting theory and practice and establishing a sustainable foundation of the theoretical and practical activities rather than adding them on late in the creative processes, or as fleeing fads or trends may initiate the paradigmatic turn that Fry (2009) calls for.

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To begin the “cross-pollination”, I have adopted an approach that is inclusive rather than exclusive, borrowing some of the above-mentioned tools and strategies from the different positions. This approach has been adapted in the project through hands-on experimental activities and the benefits and obstacles that have occurred will be discussed in chapter 5.