What is the epistemology of craft?
If it's about people learning to make things with our hands, who is doing the thinking?
As I have mentioned, the primary challenge in the broader craft community is the apparent tension between criticism and cheerleading— this is how communities of practice get stuck.
So, to extend this challenge further— what happens when a knowledge community only listens to ideas and information from a small group and doesn't learn from others? This is a problem because other communities of practice often have different experiences and ways of thinking.
Reflectivity refers to the extent to which an individual or a group can reflect upon and critically examine their own experiences, beliefs, and practices.
There are several types of reflectivity:
Personal Reflectivity involves self-reflection on one's experiences, thoughts, and emotions.
Social Reflectivity considers the impact of social and cultural factors on an individual's experiences, beliefs, and behaviors.
Theoretical Reflectivity involves using theoretical frameworks and concepts to understand and make sense of personal and social experiences.
Political Reflectivity considers the political and power dynamics that shape an individual's experiences, beliefs, and behaviors.
Interpersonal Reflectivity involves reflection on the dynamics of interpersonal relationships and how these shape and are shaped by an individual's experiences, beliefs, and behaviors.
Systemic Reflectivity involves considering the larger systems and structures that shape an individual's experiences, beliefs, and behaviors, such as economic, legal, and cultural systems.
These types of reflectivity can be used individually or in combination better to understand one's experiences, beliefs, and behaviors and to assess, understand and interpret a community's inherent attitudes, beliefs, and values.
If you only listen to one community, you miss out on learning from other people and might not have all the information you need to make good decisions. Listening and learning from different ideas and perspectives is essential to building a well-rounded understanding of the world and, thus, a broad-reaching and fluent vocabulary to engage with the broader society at large.