Workmanship
Workmanship is a human attribute relating to knowledge and skill at performing a task. Workmanship is also a
Workmanship and craftsmanship
Workmanship and craftsmanship are sometimes considered synonyms, but many draw a distinction between the two terms, or at least consider craftsmanship to mean "workmanship of the better sort".[1] Among those who consider workmanship and craftsmanship to be different, the word "workmanlike" is sometimes even used as a pejorative, for example to suggest that while an author might understand the basics of their craft, they lack flair. David Pye wrote that no one can definitively state where workmanship ends and craftsmanship begins.[1]
Sing clear-voiced Muse, of Hephaestus famed for skill. With bright-eyed Athena he taught men glorious crafts throughout the world—men who before used to dwell in caves in the mountains like wild beasts. But now that they have learned craftsmanship through Hephaestus famous for his art they live a peaceful life in own houses the whole year round.
— from a Homeric hymn celebrating craftsmanship[2]
During the Middle Ages, smiths and especially armor smiths developed unique symbols of workmanship to distinguish the quality of their work.[3] These are comparable to the mon family crests of Japan.[4]
Workmanship in society
Workmanship was likely a valued human attribute even in prehistoric times. In the opinion of the economist and sociologist Thorstein Veblen, the sense of workmanship is the single most important attribute governing the material well-being of a people, with the parental instinct coming a close second.[5]
There have been periods in history when workmanship was looked down on; for example in
Workmanship was so central during the handicraft era, that, according to Veblen, even key theological questions were re-framed from "What has God ordained?" to "What has God wrought?".
Workmanship began to receive attention from scholars after its place in society came under threat by the rise of industrialization. The Arts and Crafts movement arose in the late 19th and early 20th century, as workmanship was being displaced by emphases on process, machine work, and the separation of design and planning skills from the execution of work. Founders of the movement like William Morris, John Ruskin and Charles Eliot Norton argued that the opportunity to engage in workmanship used to be a great source of fulfillment for the working class.[8] The arts and crafts movement has since been interpreted as a palliative, which unintentionally reduced resistance to the displacement of workmanship.[9][10]
In a book on the nature of workmanship,
Electronics manufacturing
The reliability of electronic devices is greatly affected by the quality of the workmanship. Therefore, the
Workmanship and aversion to labor
Older economic writings hold that people are averse to labor and can only be motivated to work by means of incentives like rewards and punishments.
Christianity is generally approving of workmanship, though certain Bible passages such as Genesis 3:17 ("...Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life.") contribute to the view that labor is a necessary evil, a punishment for original sin.[7] (Though work did not originate with the fall of man, see Genesis 2:15—"Yahweh God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.")
Veblen is among those who now believe that work can be inherently joyful and satisfying. Veblen acknowledges that people tend towards idleness, but asserts that they also value work for its own sake, as is demonstrated by the vast amount of work that people do without obvious external pressure. Veblen also notes the near universal tendency for people to approve of others' good work.[15][10]
Psychologist Pernille Rasmussen believes that the tendency to value work can become so strong that it stops being a positive source of motivation, contributing instead to some people losing balance and becoming workaholics.[7]
See also
References
Citations
- ^ a b Pye 1968, Chpt 2: The workmanship of risk and the workmanship of certainty
- ^ Sennett 2009, p. 21
- ^ Ffoulkes 1988, pp. 62-72
- ^ Matsuya Piece-Goods Store (1972) [1913]. Japanese Design Motifs: 4,260 Illustrations of Japanese Crests. Translated by Adachi, Fumie. New York: Dover.
- ^ Veblen 1914, Chpt 1: Introduction
- ^ Sennett 2009, pp. 22–23
- ^ a b c Rasmussen 2008, Ch. 2: Work Curse or Blessing
- ^ a b c Veblen 1914, Chpt 6: The era of handicraft
- ^ a b c Crawford 2006
- ^ a b Jackson Lears 1994, Chpt 2: The figure of the artisan: arts and crafts ideology
- ^ Pye 1968, Chpt 1: Design proposes: Workmanship disposes
- ^ de Botton 2010
- ^ McGonigal 2011, Chpt 3: More satisfying work
- ^ "WS-000: Workmanship Standards Introduction" (PDF). L3Harris. L3Harris. Retrieved June 1, 2010.
- ^ Veblin 1898
Sources
- Crawford, Matthew B. (Summer 2006). "Shop Class as Soulcraft". The New Atlantis. 13: 7–24. Retrieved 2013-06-13.
- ISBN 978-0141027913.
- Ffoulkes, John (1988). The Armourer and His Craft: From the XIth to the XVIth Century. Dover.
- ISBN 0226469700.
- ISBN 9780099540281.
- ISBN 9780521060165.
- Rasmussen, Pernille (2008). When Work Takes Control: The Psychology and Effects of Work Addiction. Karnack books. ISBN 978-1855755932.
- ISBN 9780141022093.
- Veblen, Thorstein (1898). "The Instinct of Workmanship and the Irksomeness of Labor". American Journal of Sociology. 4 (2): 187–201. S2CID 145426319. Retrieved 2013-08-26.
- ISBN 9780887388071.
Further reading
- Risatti, Howard (2009). "Design, Workmanship, and Craftsmanship". A Theory of Craft: Function and Aesthetic Expression. ISBN 9780807889077.
- Smith, Kate (2010), The Potter's Skill: perceptions of workmanship in the English ceramic industries, 1760-1800
- Smith, Kate (2012). "Sensing Design and Workmanship: The Haptic Skills of Shoppers in Eighteenth-Century London". Journal of Design History. 25 (1): 1–10. PMID 22530251.
- Van der Beek, Karine (2013), England's Eighteenth Century Demand for High-Quality Workmanship: Evidence from Apprenticeship, 1710–1770
- ISBN 9780521736817.