RÄTTIGHETER OCH SKYDD INOM SLÖJDEN I SVERIGE En studie i slöjdares förhållande till inspiration, identitet och kulturell appropriering

Abstract

This thesis is an analysis of the field of cultural appropriation, within the practice of working with sloyd and handicraft in Sweden. Though the subject of cultural appropriation is widely discussed in society today, the author of this thesis can see a huge lack of discourse on the matter in the sloyd and craft context. By studying the manufacturing of tin wire bracelets within the Sami culture as well as amongst other non-Sami craftsmen/women, the level of cultural appropriation will be over looked and in the end discussed. Complementing this analysis, the thesis investigates what it is that craftsmen/women find most important in their working process, and where they would draw the line between inspiration and theft when it comes to craft. This is achieved by studies of research within the field of cultural appropriation, Sami culture, as well as laws and legislation within the craft field. In addition to this, four qualitative interviews are made as well as limited archive studies. This is all analysed through hermeneutic methods of interpretation. The results show that there are several ways to claim ownership of a specific expression of craft, which can be both legal and/or moral. The legal ways are mostly provided by Patent- och Registreringsverket (The Patent and Registry Office) as well as certain protections for Sami craftsmen/women called Duodji, while the moral ones are sprung out of human beings and active discussions. The answers of the four interviews indicates that there are differences between the Sami and the non-Sami participants when it comes to what they mark as important in their craft process. The results of this thesis implicate that there are in fact signs of cultural appropriation being made upon the Sami craft culture, and that this may be evaded by stronger and better legislation on both craft objects as well as rights for minority groups in Sweden.