For thesis, I’m reading Claude Lévi-Strauss’s The Savage Mind, where Strauss introduced the bricoleur, or professional DIY man. The bricoleur makes creative and resourceful use of whatever materials are to hand (regardless of their original purpose). The bricoleur is of different standing than the traditional handyman or odd-job man.
Our generation is becoming increasingly familiar with Steampunk, the poster-child for industrial nerdcore art. Bricolage as hobby has fallen out of favour among the youth in our high-tech digital age, and I argue that the anthropocentric movement will popularize DIY activities amidst an associated skilled trades shortage in Canada. “Canada needs at least an additional 250,000 construction workers over the next eight years to keep pace with new projects and replenish an aging workforce” quotes the Ontario Workforce Shortage Coalition. In making DIY projects accessible via the internet (makezine.com) and a workforce craving young tradespersons, there lies a valuable niche for bricolage.
