Abstract: Denna text behandlar slöjd i skolan som en kommunikativ verksamhet. Genom begreppet mediering undersöks mening och uttryck i slöjd, avseende både process och alster. Utgångspunkten är en empirisk undersökning som innefattar observationer, bilder och intervjuer samlade från slöjdundervisning i nionde klass. I artikeln behandlas en elev och hennes slöjdalster. Avbildade slöjdalster tolkades med Bachtins systematiska estetik och text bearbetades genom narrativ ansats. Resultaten visar att eleven medvetet gör bruk av kommunikativa resurser i skolämnet slöjd, att hennes slöjdalster bär mening genom arkitektoniska uttryck i material och form och att slöjdverksamheten i skolan, sett ur ett ungdomsperspektiv, har betydande inslag av vardagsnära koncept. Slutsatsen är att skolslöjd är en kraftfull medieringsarena för meningsfullt och mångsidigt lärande och utveckling av identitet och personliga egenskaper.  

Meaning and Expression in Sloyd

Abstract:

This article focuses on communicative aspects of the Swedish school subject Sloyd, which is a compulsory subject in Swedish comprehensive school for pupils in grade 3-9 (aged 9-15/16). Sloyd in school is mainly a Nordic phenomenon and can be understood as a combination of art, craft and design. The socio-cultural concept mediation is used for uncovering meaning and expression in sloyd as a process as well as the actual artefacts made by pupils. The empirical materials in this article consist of one transcribed interview and photos of sloyd objects transformed into a narrative drawn from a larger qualitative research project. Visual ethnography was used as a research method in the field and findings were analysed using a narrative approach in combination with Bakhtin´s (1988) systematic analysis of the architectonics of the aesthetic objective. The narrative presented in this article concerns a textile application made by Pernilla. Her story tells of how she got the idea for a pillow, the actual making and how she figures it will be in her room. Some critical events in the story point out the mediating effects of colour, cultural signs and the importance of well-being. It all started when she saw the colourful textiles on the shelf in the textile workshop. They spoke to her of nature and landscapes she remembered seen from above travelling in airplanes. The story unfolds in a process including a Swedish banknote showing a fictitious character, Nils Holgersson, from a novel by Selma Lagerlöf. Pernilla thus enters a dialogical relation that establishes an intertextual connection, which affects her design of the pillow.

The analysis shows that the dialogical and intertextual features are present not only on the conceptual level but also at the material level, in the actual making, which stands out as acts of meaning making. This is a process that, according to Knutes, consist of a structure including three general criteria; (i) refiguration of physical objects, (ii) personal project, and (iii) dynamic course. All of these are present in Pernillas work. Considering the refiguration criteria one must recognize material, technique and tools as well as aesthetic aspects. In this case the textile material is closely related to aesthetic considerations. The analysis shows a tight connection between the process of making and personal experiences with a clear mark of authenticity. The process was explicitly dynamic on two levels. First and foremost it was dynamic in relation to the material and then it turned into a dynamic process including more and more of personal experiences.

Bachtins theory of the architectonics of the aesthetic objective includes three units: Content, material, and form. All three units have two common aspects. On the one hand one must identify epistemic aspects and on the other one must understand ethic and architectonic qualities of the artefact. The epistemic aspect of the content in Pernilla´s application may be understood as the function. A pillow has a comforting function and the application functions as a decorative and protective cover. Another epistemic aspect of the content is the material used, which is cotton. But what is the ethic aspect of Pernilla´s application? How can one understand it in the realm of human activities? A narrative approach may shed some light on the issue. Pernilla makes a point of balance and harmony in how she designs her room. She said the colour green represents wellbeing and calmness. This brings in the architectonic aspect of material, as well as the architectonic aspect of form – she chose the colour for a specific reason and she cut the cotton into specific shapes, namely to represent a landscape as seen from above.

The analysis shows that sloyd is a powerful arena for mediating meaningful learning and that engagement in sloyd develops a sense of identity and connection.