Exit Through the Gift Shop

 

 

 

At this time of year our thoughts turn to holiday gift-giving (ack!). It may be that you’ve got family for whom you’d like to buy something ‘authentic’ or ‘meaningful’. Perhaps it’s client gifts, staff recognition or end-of-the-quarter teambuilding loot you’re after.

 

What I’d urge you to do is to reconsider purchasing handicrafts.

 

Before the glitter and buttons and paint starts to fly, there is a difference between artisans and amateurs. When you consider the making of handicrafts, think again about who is making them and why. Purchased any duct-tape belts made by a boy recently rescued from labour trafficking? How about a feed-bag repurposed as a wallet made by a man who is the victim of a landmine accident? Didn’t think so.

 

But you have bought ribbon jewellery that includes a wee plaque with the words ‘brave’ or ‘courage’ or some such ‘empowering’ sentiment made by girls (and certainly women) to remind us of what’s ‘important’ in life. These are the handicrafts made by the survivors (but always marketed as 'victims') of of domestic abuse, mental illness, substance abuse, sexualized violence, you name it. All intended to raise ‘much needed’ funds for the program the girls (and certainly women) are in, to escape whatever they found themselves in previously. OK, love the programs, hate the handicrafts.

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A Stitch in Time?

 

Is the path to socioeconomic development really through girls and women making tat with a daub of paint here (handcrafted!) or a quick-stitched something there (heritage goods!). I’m not sure the crocheted coaster-set is the 'path' to anything. We assume that women are naturally ‘good’ at artsy creativity and that a woman would wish to spend her time with a glue gun rather than, oh, I dunno, improving her education with an income that recognizes her actual contribution to her community, rather than further stigmatizing her with ‘victim crafts’.*

 

In this scenario you’re going to buy something that someone just learned how to do last week, likely doesn’t have an aptitude for (because they’re not artisans and didn’t really choose to be in this program in the first place, right?) and isn’t culturally relevant (beaded table runners made by Tsaatan or Nùng women, perhaps?).

 

Given that there is a market for victim crafts, then it follows that this market, like any commodity, is subject to supply and demand. What happens when demand falls? For example, when there’s another civil uprising in the country that depends on tourists staying in eco-lodges and purchasing cards with twigs glued on them made by the ‘victims’ of the last civil uprising/disaster/crop failure?

 

Why not teach these girls (and certainly women) how to weld instead? Now that’s what I call a transferable skill-set.

 

But you still want to buy something to give. Buy something directly (e.g. fabric, bowls, coffee) from the producer instead of an intermediary who takes a cut. How about buying goods from artisans who have spent years honing their craft for a living? Support artist-run galleries and cooperatives. Support tradespeople, their guilds and collectives; take a class from them. If a craft or trade is facing particular extinction, can you help fund a film of the craftperson in action for posterity? Your office or family or friends can purchase education instead of misery knick-knacks and it never requires dusting.

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* Hat tip to human rights lawyer Kate Cronin-Furman over at Wronging Rights for the bang-on neologism 'victim crafts'.

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Photo: Alice Achterhof / unsplash.com

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This article originally appeared in Word Vietnam magazine and has been adapted. To view the magazine’s online version click here.