Is making alternative? Rethinking development in Germany’s makerspaces

Abstract

This paper explores the ideological backgrounds, normative motivations, and the degrees of alterity among makerspaces in Germany. It does so by connecting the question of alterity to discussions on development, and exploring to what extent and in which ways makerspaces aim to challenge the hegemony of traditional growth-oriented development. The study engages with a broad literature to conceptualize development as a hegemonic discourse and present main lines of thought that aim to challenge it. In parallel, it presents the history and diverse trajectories of makerspaces and the makers’ movement in Germany and beyond, rendering the question of their ideological backgrounds and their level of alterity as open. Empirically, the work engages with the Verbund Offener Werkstätten (Association for Open Workshops) and analyzes the content and language by which makerspaces – members of the association – describe themselves in their digital communication. Finally, the study proposes a new categorization for makerspaces – that can be generalized to other alternative spaces – regarding their level of alterity and degree of reproduction or opposition to the hegemonic views, values, and norms of growth-driven development. Through the engagement of diverse literature and analysis of the aforementioned digital texts, this paper offers important insights regarding: a) makerspaces’ alterity in relation to their typology and geographical location; b) the importance of analyzing the discursive practices of alternative economic and political spaces; and c) the transformative potential of alternative spaces in Germany and beyond.