Craft Workers Research Articles

Crafts in the Time of Coronavirus

Crafts in the Time of Coronavirus

AGEING OF EMPLOYEES IN POLAND COMPARED TO OTHER EUROPEAN UNION COUNTRIES: AGRICULTURAL WORKERS VS. OTHER OCCUPATIONS

The problem of the ageing labour force in agriculture and the effects of this process have been studied and widely discussed for a long time. The paper aims to determine the level and pace of ageing of employees in Poland compared to other European Union countries, and in particular to compare its scale between agricultural and other occupations. The study uses LFS data gathered in the EUROSTAT database and the comparative method in relation to values of the renewal ratio. The age structure of employees changed noticeably between 2002 and 2022. The proportion of employees aged 50-64 in the group of all employees increased by 11 pp. in the EU. The analyses show that in the years 2002-2022, in both the EU and Poland, agricultural workers were the oldest group among all the major occupation categories. The renewal ratio for the agricultural worker category was 1.2 in the EU and 1.4 in Poland in 2022. Nevertheless, in the period under consideration, in the EU and in Poland, the pace of ageing was relatively higher for other occupations, especially for services and sales workers, clerical support workers, and craft and related trades workers. On the other hand, managers are the only employee group in Poland reporting an increase in the renewal ratio. Changes in the age structure of the agricultural labour force in Poland and in the EU need to be explored in the context of the dynamic changes taking place in the agricultural sector in recent decades, and also in correlation with demographic trends in European societies.

Maintaining a Complex Building Culture: The Precarious State of Heritage Crafts in the United States

This article examines the current shortage of heritage craft workers in the United States and how the nation has reached the current situation of crisis. It considers the complexity of America’s building tradition and the role that immigration has played in the shaping of its built heritage. Through those immigrant traditions, it studies the desire for assimilation into American life through successive generations transitioning away from building craft. It concludes by exploring the current issues facing the heritage craft industries, the initiatives being undertaken to address these concerns, and the need to expand such practices.

Connecting craft, design and the wood industry in South Tyrol: From clusters to creative ecosystem

Craft work provides unique opportunities to understand connections between artisanal production, innovative design and industrial manufacturing. It also enables us to reflect on the limits of existing research on creative clusters and industry spillovers and variety which misses important connections between the local industrial base, traditional cultural production, and design and innovation-led creative and cultural industries (CCIs). This is particularly relevant to rural economies where CCIs clusters have often been disconnected from local assets and manufacturing. The paper takes an ecological perspective to explore how craft activity diffuses across permeable boundaries of industrial, traditional, and creative production, and contributes to rural regional development by facilitating related and unrelated variety. Using the wood ecosystem of Val Gardena and the region of South Tyrol in Italy as a case study, the paper identifies shared ecosystem-sustaining assets – materiality, locality, and skills/knowledge – and explores how these relationships lead to different evolutionary trajectories and economic opportunities. The paper demonstrates how an ecosystem perspective expands our understanding of creative clusters beyond CCIs and shows how craft is connected to other local industries, contributing to local development dynamics.

THE RELATIONSHIP OF KNOWLEDGE AND ATTITUDE WITH PREVENTION MEASURES OF RESPIRATORY FUNCTIONAL DISORDERS IN FURNITURE WORKERS

Health is one of the main priorities of humans in living their lives. Everyone certainly wants to have a healthy and strong body and a good immune system so that they are not susceptible to disease. In factory workers there is a risk of accidents and occupational diseases, which come from various factors such as the work environment. A work environment that is often filled with dust, steam, gas, and others can interfere with health.This study aims to identify the knowledge, attitudes, and efforts of factory workers on respiratory functional disorders of furniture craft workers in Julubori Village, Pallangga District, Gowa Regency in 2022.The design of this research is descriptive with a sample size of 60 people. The data collection tool uses a questionnaire. The data collection technique used is Simple Random Sampling, where the researcher distributes questionnaires directly to the sample in this study.The results of this study indicate that 63.3% of respondents have good knowledge, 73.3% of respondents have a positive attitude. This is due to the influence of the involvement of local health workers who provide counseling to workers who are going well and also factory workers who always use PPE when working. For further research, it is recommended to complete this research by conducting a review of the health of respiratory functional disorders in craftsmen in the village and reviewing the facilities of furniture craftsmen and the condition of furniture craftsmen.

Seroprevalence of hepatitis E virus (HEV) among male craft and manual workers in Qatar (2020–2021)

BackgroundThe rapid growth of Qatar in the last two decades has attracted a large influx of immigrant craft and manual workers (CMWs) seeking employment in jobs associated with food handling, domestic service, and construction. Nearly 60 % of Qatar's population are expatriates CMWs, including many from hyperendemic countries for HEV. Thus, estimating the seroprevalence of HEV in Qatar and understanding its epidemiology is essential for public health efforts to control HEV transmission in Qatar. MethodsBlood samples from 2670 CMWs were collected between 2020 and 2021. All samples were tested for HEV-IgG antibodies. Positive HEV-IgG samples were tested for HEV-IgM antibodies, and those positives were also tested for viral antigens using an HEV-Ag ELISA kit and HEV-RNA by RT-PCR to confirm current HEV infections. ResultsThe seroprevalence of HEV-IgG was 27.3 % (729/2670; 95 % CI: 25.6–29.0). Of those HEV-IgG positive, 8.23 % (60/729; 95 % CI: 6.30–10.5) were HEV-IgM positive. Of the IgM-positive samples, 2 were HEV-RNA positive (3.39 %; 95 % CI: 0.40–11.7), and 1 was HEV-Ag positive (1.69 %; 95 % CI: 0.04–9.09). In addition, HEV-IgG seroprevalence was associated with age and nationality, with the highest seroprevalence in participants from Egypt (IgG 60.0 %; IgM 5.56 %), Pakistan (IgG 59.0 %; IgM 2.24 %), Nepal (IgG 29.3 %; IgM 2.70 %), Bangladesh (IgG 27.8 %; IgM 2.45 %), and India (IgG 23.9 %; IgM 2.43 %). ConclusionIn this study, we showed that the seroprevalence of HEV among CMWs was slightly higher than what was previously reported among the urban population in Qatar (2013–2016).

Solutions to Develop Traditional Craft Villages Associated with Tourism in Hanoi Capital

Traditional craft villages are humanistic tourism resources that contribute to attracting a large number of tourists, enriching and diversifying tourism activities, creating many attractive options for tourists. Tourism associated with Hanoi's traditional craft villages is increasingly attracting tourists because of the long-standing cultural values and creativity of craft workers through each typical handicraft product. Visitors to Hanoi's craft villages can not only admire the landscape of a typical Northern Delta village with banyan trees, wells, and communal houses, but can also visit the production site and directly interact with local artisans craftsmen and participate in testing some stages of product production. This creates the unique appeal of craft village tourism. Despite many improvements, the current development of craft village tourism in Hanoi is not commensurate with its potential. On that basis, the article studies the potential and current status of developing traditional craft villages associated with tourism in Hanoi, thereby proposing a number of solutions to promote the development of traditional craft villages associated with tourism in Hanoi.

De-skilling: Evidence from late nineteenth century American manufacturing

The longstanding view in US economic history is that the shift in manufacturing in the nineteenth century from the hand labor artisan shop to the machine labor of the mechanized factory led to “labor de-skilling” – the substitution of less skilled workers, such as operatives, for skilled craft workers. Investigating the Department of Labor's 1899 Hand and Machine Labor Study, we show the adoption of inanimate power, which we call “mechanization,” did induce de-skilling at the production operation level. However, while the treatment effect of mechanization was economically and statistically significant, it accounted for only 16 percent of the de-skilling on average in the sample, using our preferred IV estimator. Broadening the scope of our inquiry, we find that variations in the division of labor, as captured by the share of production tasks performed by the average worker, accounted for a substantially larger fraction.

A Study on the Intention to Use Online Video Platforms of Chinese Traditional Crafts Workers through Technology Acceptance Model: Focused on BiliBili

A Study on the Intention to Use Online Video Platforms of Chinese Traditional Crafts Workers through Technology Acceptance Model: Focused on BiliBili

Study of the performance of small industry and household pottery craft workers based on ergonomic principles

Musculoskeletal complaints in pottery workers occur due to the use of work tools that are not ergonomic. Work tools that are not ergonomic cause unnatural work postures such as squatting, bending over, out of reach, etc. Overcoming this requires measuring workers' body dimensions or anthropometric data. Using anthropometric data in tool design requires worker measurement data to be calculated using percentiles according to the tool to be designed or redesigned. Applying worker anthropometric data provides work tool designs that suit workers' needs so that they are comfortable when used. This has the impact of no longer causing musculoskeletal complaints, often referred to as ergonomic work tools. Applying ergonomics principles in small industries and households is necessary so that workers can carry out their work effectively, comfortably, safely, healthily, and efficiently. This is so that workers can increase their productivity while maintaining their health.

Organizational Implementation of AI: Craft and Mechanical Work

Recent years have brought major technological breakthroughs in artificial intelligence (AI), and firms are expected to invest nearly $98 B in 2023. However, many AI projects never leave the pilot phase, and many companies have difficulties extracting value from their AI initiatives. To explain this contradiction, this article reports on a study of 55 projects implementing AI in organizations. It shows that organizational challenges in implementing AI projects are a result of a paradoxical tension created by two different perspectives on data science work: craft and mechanical work. Executives, managers, and data scientists should actively manage this tension to enable and sustain value creation through AI.

Quality Oriented Management

Quality management is a phenomenon. Advanced culture that supports arts and crafts allows shoppers to choose goods with higher quality standards compared to the normal stuff. In a society that appreciates the arts and crafts, one of the tasks of the management company or owner of the company is the head of the workshop, as well as train and supervise employees and interns. The company sets the standard, assesses the work of the employees and orders rework or repair is necessary. Jobs in crafts have a limitation that is only capable of producing little other products, but has the advantage that each product can be made independently in accordance with the wishes of the customer. Craft work approach towards quality score is the primary input when the initial establishment of quality management as a part of management science.

Identity Navigation and Self-Positioning in a Changing Craft World: Creativity and Cultures of Emerging Self-Employed Craft Workers in Jingdezhen

Following four-months of ethnographic fieldwork among the young, self-employed craft workers in Jingdezhen, this article explores the diverse identities and emerging cultures associated with craft that differ from the popular imaginaries of craftspeople, or shouyiren, in the Chinese mainstream media that focus on the older generations. By conducting participant observation, in-depth interviews, and the diary method, I found that while the profiles of “craft workers” or “craftspeople” are favoured by the recent waves of self-employed craft workers in Jingdezhen, these workers do not fully identify as craftspeople, traditionally characterised by their professionalism, perfectionism, enthusiasm, and persistence; nor as artists. Instead, they are positioned in between different identities, such as traditional craftsman, workman, artist-crafts worker, and artist. I argue that the wavering between different identities according to the occasion and targeted audience not only allows self-employed craft workers in Jingdezhen to escape from the monotonous routines and patriarchal norms of the older generations’ craft conventions, but also facilitates a re-configuration of craft identities within a craft industry that is changing. Secondly, I found that creativity is emphasised in their self-positioning and becomes an alternative means of achieving recognition, status and mobility in Jingdezhen’s craft industry. Based on these discussions, the study provides a fuller picture of a new form of craft labour developing in Jingdezhen.

Nexus between weeds secondary succession and livelihoods in Hadejia-Nguru wetlands of Nigeria

Hadejia-Nguru wetlands is known as a joule of the Sahel as it is the major biodiversity reservoir of the Sahelian parts of Nigeria. However, series of impediment that follows the Sahelian drought of 1970s has been altering the ecosystem of the wetlands. The secondary succession of invasive weed that follow the habitat changes has altered the wetlands derived livelihood activities. This study examines the livelihoods constrain of the weeds as well as livelihoods derived from the weeds. Information on biodiversity timeline history, types of weeds that grow on the wetland site, the livelihoods activities derived from the weeds, and the livelihoods constraint of weeds were collected through interviews with key informants and focus group discussion. Three focus group discussions were conducted in six wetlands site communities, with participants including farmers, pastoralists, and other categories of wetland users. The qualitative information collected was analysed using grounded theory tool. The study identified 18 weed species that grow on the Hadejia-Nguru wetlands and discovered that the weeds are sources of raw materials for constructions, craft work, and fodder for animals among others. They also constitute the major constraints to livelihood activities such as fishing, transportation, irrigation, rainfed farming, and domestic water supply, among others. The study concluded that weeds are both a constraint and means of livelihood. Hence, the study’s hypothesis is that ‘’the impact of weeds on livelihoods diminish over time’.’ It is therefore recommended that all the beneficial weeds in the wetlands should be identified and utilized sustainably, while the growth of the bad ones should be controlled.

Moving to the Services Sector, Can they Reach the Minimum Wage? The 2021 Indonesian NLFS Data Analysis-Based Study

Objective: This study provides an overview of labor shifting from the manufacturing sector towards the services sector in Indonesia. Method: Data from the 2021 National Labor Force Survey (NLFS) were used to track laborers' characteristics with 1,856 sample size of labors in the services sector who previously worked in manufacturing industries in Indonesia. A descriptive statistics method was employed for analysis by utilizing cross-tabulation data. Results: This sectoral transition from manufacturing to the services sector indicates a decrease in labor absorption in Indonesia's manufacturing sector, which has occurred since The Asian Financial Crisis in 1997-1998. It was also obtained that the majority of these "new workers" in the services sector are in the category of position/skill level 2, namely jobs with several skills such as clerical support workers, services and sales workers, skilled agriculture workers, forestry and fishery workers, craft and related trades workers, plant and machine operators and assemblers. In addition, only 24.27% of respondents earn more than the minimum wage applicable in the district/city where they live, and 14.31% earn above the Indonesian middle-class standard set by the World Bank (> IDR 3,752,000 per month).

Seroprevalence of herpes simplex virus type 1 and type 2 among the migrant workers in Qatar

BackgroundLimited data exists on herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and type 2 (HSV-2) infections in migrant populations. This study investigated HSV-1 and HSV-2 seroprevalences and associations among craft and manual workers (CMWs) in Qatar who constitute 60% of Qatar’s population.MethodsA national population-based cross-sectional seroprevalence survey was conducted on the CMW population, all men, between July 26 and September 9, 2020. 2,612 sera were tested for anti-HSV-1 IgG antibodies using HerpeSelect 1 ELISA IgG kits and for anti-HSV-2 IgG antibodies using HerpeSelect 2 ELISA IgG kits (Focus Diagnostics, USA). Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify associations with HSV-1 and HSV-2 infections.ResultsSerological testing identified 2,171 sera as positive, 403 as negative, and 38 as equivocal for HSV-1 antibodies, and 300 sera as positive, 2,250 as negative, and 62 as equivocal for HSV-2 antibodies. HSV-1 and HSV-2 seroprevalences among CMWs were estimated at 84.2% (95% CI 82.8–85.6%) and 11.4% (95% CI 10.1–12.6%), respectively. HSV-1 infection was associated with nationality, educational attainment, and occupation. HSV-2 infection was associated with age, nationality, and educational attainment.ConclusionsOver 80% of CMWs are infected with HSV-1 and over 10% are infected with HSV-2. The findings highlight the need for sexual health programs to tackle sexually transmitted infections among the CMW population.

Ethics, Tradition and Temporality in Craft Work: The Case of Japanese Mingei

Based on an empirical illustration of Onta pottery and more broadly a discussion of the Japanese Mingei movement, we study the intimacy between craft work, ethics and time. We conceptualize craft work through the temporal structure of tradition, to which we find three aspects: generational rhythms of making; cycles of use and re-use amongst consumers and a commitment to historically and naturally attuned communities. We argue these temporal structures of tradition in craftwork are animated by two contrasting but co-existing ideas of the good: the moral and the ethical. By developing the work of Elizabeth Grosz, we conceptualize this distinction between moral and ethical as a temporal phenomenon, specifically in differing relations to ideas of the future. Moral aspects of craft work understand the future as a progression from past, whether in preserving practices and norms, or improving upon them in relation to ideals. Ethical aspects understand the future as inherently open to chance and divergence, valuing difference, accident and the possibilities for creativity these entail. Empirically, we show evidence of both aspects in the case of Mingei—a organized movement dedicated to preserving and promoting traditional Japanese craft work. We contribute to studies of craft work by revealing and classifying its temporal aspects. We contribute to studies in business ethics by conceptualising a generative distinction between morals and ethics configured through differing understandings of time.

Getting Multicultural Concepts from Malaysian Modern Pewter Craftwork

Traditional pewter craft in Malaysia has a development history of more than 100 years and achieved success in the modern market, compared to the recession in the original countries of traditional pewter manufacturing such as China and Euro-American countries. This article is a study of the multicultural features contained in the design of pewter craft works, which is one of the main factors for the success. The evaluation method is based on judgmental or purposive sampling on part of a large collection of pewter craft works from major Malaysian companies and local pewter craft workshops. The analysis of this study reveals a regulation of the multicultural features in Malaysian modern pewter craft works, and provides a way how artisans and designers get multicultural design awareness. A set of practical steps about the way of designers combine the production of traditional craftwork with different cultural elements, which is effectively beneficial to develop a traditional cultural craft in contemporary time. The findings of this study are expected to be useful in culture-based design, expanding the cultural vision of contemporary artists and designers based on the way of thinking and rules of the internal evolution of a country's culture.

THE RELATIONSHIP OF KNOWLEDGE AND ATTITUDE WITH PREVENTION MEASURES OF RESPIRATORY FUNCTIONAL DISORDERS IN FURNITURE WORKERS IN JULUBORI VILLAGE, PALLANGGA DISTRICT, GOWA REGENCY IN 2022

Health is one of the main priorities of humans in living their lives. Everyone certainly wants to have a healthy and strong body and a good immune system so that they are not susceptible to disease. In factory workers there is a risk of accidents and occupational diseases, which come from various factors such as the work environment. A work environment that is often filled with dust, steam, gas, and others can interfere with health.This study aims to identify the knowledge, attitudes, and efforts of factory workers on respiratory functional disorders of furniture craft workers in Julubori Village, Pallangga District, Gowa Regency in 2022.The design of this research is descriptive with a sample size of 60 people. The data collection tool uses a questionnaire. The data collection technique used is Simple Random Sampling, where the researcher distributes questionnaires directly to the sample in this study.The results of this study indicate that 63.3% of respondents have good knowledge, 73.3% of respondents have a positive attitude. This is due to the influence of the involvement of local health workers who provide counseling to workers who are going well and also factory workers who always use PPE when working. For further research, it is recommended to complete this research by conducting a review of the health of respiratory functional disorders in craftsmen in the village and reviewing the facilities of furniture craftsmen and the condition of furniture craftsmen.

All-cause and COVID-19 mortality in Qatar during the COVID-19 pandemic

ObjectiveTo investigate all-cause mortality, COVID-19 mortality and all-cause non-COVID-19 mortality in Qatar during the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsA national, retrospective cohort analysis and national, matched, retrospective cohort studies were conducted between 5...