Craft Education in the United Kingdom and the United States: A cross-cultural examination of ideals, approaches and solutions

At the conclusion of the Second World War both the United Kingdom and the United States experienced drastic changes in their building industries. As the construction industry progressed, the training systems for construction workers evolved to meet this new demand. This thesis argues that these changes have caused the UK and the US to face a perceived crisis in the training and supply of traditional craft workers. In both societies, different approaches have been taken to address these concerns, based on the evolving ethos of conservation theory in their respective cultures and their educational frameworks. The approaches taken can be seen as reflecting the evolution of conservation theory and practice in each society, which is often expressed through variations in perception of value, age, and methodology, as well as distinct differences in terminology. This thesis studies the progression of heritage craft training through the examination of historical evidence juxtaposed against ethnographic surveys of three generations of craft practitioners along with current educational providers. Using this evidence, this thesis examines the strengths and shortcomings of current heritage craft educational offerings in both networks through the opinions of both practitioners and educational providers using Actor-Network Theory methodology. It is from the triangulation of historical evidence, craft practitioner opinions, and educational provider experiences that this research proposes pathways to improve the educational offerings in both networks. This study argues that contrary to popular belief, the crisis in heritage craft training may be misdiagnosed, but significant improvements need to be made by both countries to enhance the visibility and delivery of the existing training opportunities. This thesis aims to inform our understanding of the progression of this under-studied sphere of the conservation industry in order to enrich future craft training practices.