Föreställningar om effektivitet och tradition inom nytimring

Abstract

Sweden currently has a handcrafted log house production that claims to produce houses as in the eighteenth century, even though the main tool in use is the chain saw. The use of the axe is only marginal, but at the same time it also serves as a powerful symbol in sales and identity. Within traditional crafts the choice between traditional and more modernized methods is always present. Outer preconditions and inner conceptions of effectiveness and tradition create and shape the conditions for the handcrafted production. The aim of this study is, through interviews with producers and students within log house building, to try to understand the ways in which these factors affect the carpenter's choice of method. Today a large part of the architectural conservation and log house building consist of recreating historical settings, even though the craftsmanship of the process often is rationalized in favor of a more efficient process with machines. The question is if we can distinguish the material heritage from the intangible cultural heritage, such as traditional craftsmanship, without simply creating a false front? Is an intangible heritage preserved in the handcrafted log house production of today? The field of research that this study relates to is ethnology, craft research, critical heritage studies and human ecology. My own knowledge and practical experience of log house building have been an essential part in the investigation of the producers’ practices and methods. The way of using one’s own practical and experience-based knowledge is a central aspect in the new field of craft research. The results describe that the producers’ ideas and approaches to tradition, are linked to what is considered to represent the modern. The results also describe how the current handcrafted production is made and how it is marketed. The external market adjustments and concerns of working environment as well as the internal driving forces and conceptions of tradition and effectiveness shape the conditions of the production. In conclusion, the study discusses how an intangible heritage could be preserved in the knowledge and experience of the practical process even if the methods largely have changed.