Identity Building Through Mediation by African Tailors
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 4777124 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Sofia Vilarinho (0000-0002-6773-133X), Henri Christiaans (0000-0003-0923-7357, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2020 |
| Volume | 44 |
| Issue | 5 |
| Pages | 841-856 |
| Publication date | 2020-09-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | International Journal of Urban and Regional Research (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0309-1317 • E-ISSN: 1468-2427 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1111/1468-2427.12893 |
| OpenAlex | W3047891174 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 2 |
| References cited | 11 |
In contemporary African cities, dressing well and wearing exclusive garments has become crucial for people in search of identity, distinction and individuality. The research presented in this article, situated at disciplinary intersections of cultural studies, fashion practices and sustainability, provides a case study of African tailors conducted in Maputo and Lisbon, with a special focus on identity building of African immigrants in Portugal. However, the role of tailors in this acculturation process has been ignored in the consumption approach to creative cities. This study is therefore also a reaction to the mainly Western world of regular couture, and to 'creative city materials' that focus on consumption. Instead, we emphasize the importance of African tailors who de facto shape urban experiences-visually incrementing practices-that are fundamental to the comprehension of sartorial culture, while we also allude to the complex intersections between local and global markets. In the first part of this article we describe a semi-ethnographic study among tailors in Maputo and Lisbon. The second part presents a participatory action approach that entailed developing an educational programme for African tailors where culture and creativity meet. This programme empowered tailors to tap into their cultural knowledge on tailoring and their awareness of community identity. In our study we argue that the idea of creative cities and their creative economy should be approached from a cultural perspective, by building awareness of the importance of local creative classes instead of focusing on importing those classes
Aesthetics · Citizen journalism · Creativity · Cultural identity · Negotiation · Political science · Situated · Social science · Sociology · Crafts, Textile, and Design · Cultural Industries and Urban Development · Fashion and Cultural Textiles · Gender Studies · Law
African Dress
Situating learning in communities of practice.
Should There Be a Three-Strikes Rule Against Pure Discovery Learning?
Making Fashion in the City
On the Global Repercussions of East African Consumerism
Rethinking the Creative City
Cultural-Products Industries and Urban Economic Development
Apprenticeship in Critical Ethnographic Practice
Cognitive Consequences of Traditional Apprenticeship Training in West Africa
| Unique citing works | 2 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,33 |
| Citation span | 2020 - 2024 (5) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 2 |