Gifting, crafting, gender and the holidays
This post on Skepchick got me thinking about gifting and how it relates to gender and the holidays (hence my cleverly-worded post title):
There is a gendered-male comment about someone who went the extra mile to get individualized presents. He went about buying pens with the person's name on them, having a book made from the person's recipes, giving customized t-shirts and so on. So he didn't actually do the work.
The only one I see from a gendered-male nym about making a present for someone is mrthumbtack, who forged his parents a coat-rack. Oh, and one from a parent of a young woman whose boyfriend made her a pillow, amused at the boy "trying" to sew.
Davew doesn't think shopping is skilled work, and feels mandatory gift-giving is a guilt machine.
Searching the web isn't much better. I had to wade through several blog search pages on Google to find the first one where a man actually did some crafting — this entry in the blog EmbellishYourself includes an account of the husband of a couple making individualized screen printed t-shirts.
Do you get crafty with gifts? Did you receive anything this year that someone made specifically for you? Have you ever given a gift that you’re particularly proud of?My impression from the comments is that most of those who take the time to handcraft presents for others are female. I can't be sure because not everyone uses a gendered name, and, of course, the gendered name may not match the person's gender orientation anyway.
There is a gendered-male comment about someone who went the extra mile to get individualized presents. He went about buying pens with the person's name on them, having a book made from the person's recipes, giving customized t-shirts and so on. So he didn't actually do the work.
The only one I see from a gendered-male nym about making a present for someone is mrthumbtack, who forged his parents a coat-rack. Oh, and one from a parent of a young woman whose boyfriend made her a pillow, amused at the boy "trying" to sew.
Davew doesn't think shopping is skilled work, and feels mandatory gift-giving is a guilt machine.
Searching the web isn't much better. I had to wade through several blog search pages on Google to find the first one where a man actually did some crafting — this entry in the blog EmbellishYourself includes an account of the husband of a couple making individualized screen printed t-shirts.
I know a lady who taught her grandson how to knit, and his parents were sort of worried about how appropriate it was when he decided to knit a scarf for all his cousins for Christmas. As if somehow knitting, or publicly acknowledging that he knits, is going to damage his developing masculinity or something...
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Happened to google my own username. Yeah, I'm male.
Interesting that you noticed the trend in the Skepchick comments. I certainly notice a similar trend in the Sculpture program in which I'm currently studying. Very few women make pieces using steel or wood and very few men make pieces using fabric.
Some mediums are gender neutral, like clay, glass, or foam, but others definitely have connotations. Strangely enough everyone is required to learn the same skills in our Basic Sculpture course, and use the same materials. Once there are no longer material requirements though, women and men tend to use the materials with which they feel comfortable.
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Thanks MrThumbtack! Interesting observation.
I wonder how much of it is simply familiarity, and if the sex-typing is still prevalent when a person doesn't even have experience with a technique.
For example, if someone came in to the program never having done any work with fabric, is that person still more likely to take it up as their medium of expression if they are female?
I'd guess yes simply because the existing pool of role models for fabric artists is going to be largely female. There's something important about seeing someone you can identify doing a task that makes you think, I can do that, too. And, I won't be laughed at for doing it, or at least this other person withstood the laughter and is now successful.
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Making jewelery is a hobby of mine. I picked it up from an internet community--I was never physically exposed to it growing up. Because of the nature of my exposure to the craft, I didn't became aware of the gender divide in craft materials until years after I started crafting. As a result, I don't feel more (or less) comfortable in any particular material.
I haven't really thought about shopping as a skill, but that is a very good way to view it. Everyone has essentials to buy, and good shopping skills save money, time, and stress. I still remember looking up grocery shopping tips after getting married.
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