Culture

Craft and Social Media: Sites of Knowledge Production and Consumption

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Abstract

In this project we explored fiber-centric epistemologies to build off Susan Kaiser’s (2012) circuit of style-fashion-dress and create our own proposed model, the circuit of knowledge production in textile centric craft. We used data gathered from 20 in-depth interviews with natural dyers from the United States. We found that people share textile craft knowledge in both physical and virtual spaces. Information is distributed in intimate social groups, one-on-one tutoring, informal conversations, social media, electronic books, online courses, blogs, podcasts, and more. However, it is critical to acknowledge that textile crafts have been and continue to be shaped by hegemonic power dynamics. Within textile craft communities, cisgender white women assert a large majority of the control over knowledge production. Due to the lack of inclusivity for BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ individuals, there remains a vast gap in knowledge in textile centric craft.

Keywords: Craft, Knitting, Instagram, Race, LGBTQIA+, Natural Dye

How to Cite:

Doty, K. & Green, D. N., (2022) “Craft and Social Media: Sites of Knowledge Production and Consumption”, International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference Proceedings 78(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.31274/itaa.13569