Managing Pleasurable Pursuits: Utopic Horizons and the Arts of Ignoring and ‘Not Knowing’ among Fine Woodworkers

Marchand, Trevor H.J.

Abstract

The chapter is grounded in fieldwork with fine-woodwork trainees on a two-year programme at the Building Crafts College in East London. The majority of trainees aspired to become makers of bespoke furniture and to exercise autonomy over the design, production and sale of their wares. For many, the pursuit of a carpentry career was intertwined with their utopian pursuits of pleasurable work and a satisfying life. However, trainees, workshop convenors and college administrators largely ignored the business-skill training needed to thrive and survive as an independent artisan in the U.K. By following a cohort through their programme to graduation, the chapter explores some of the missed opportunities to better prepare trainees for the harsh realities of the marketplace.

Citation

Marchand, T. H. (2015). Managing Pleasurable Pursuits: Utopic Horizons and the Arts of Ignoring and ‘Not Knowing’ among Fine Woodworkers. In R. Dilley, & T. Kirsch (Eds.), Regimes of Ignorance: anthropological perspectives on the Production and Reproduction of Non-Knowledge (70-90). Berghahn

• Publication Date: Nov 1, 2015
• Deposit Date: Oct 23, 2015
• Pages: 70-90
• Series Title: Methodology and History in Anthropology
• Series Number: 29
• Series ISSN: 1554-3773
• Book Title: Regimes of Ignorance: anthropological perspectives on the Production and Reproduction of Non-Knowledge
• ISBN: 9781782388388
• Keywords: business skills, college training, craftwork, ignorance, marketplace, not knowing, utopia, woodwork
• Related Public URLs: http://www.berghahnbooks.com/title.php?rowtag=DilleyRegimes