From Pinchpot Pigs to Pedagogy
The Life of Things
Click the Pig to go to the Stopmotion Video!
For auditory learners, these videos provide an audio version of the text.
In order to teach Marx’s (1981) concept of commodity fetishism, I used stop motion video to illustrate how objects are often viewed as ‘things’ that are separate from human creativity or intervention. Under capitalism, according to Marx (1981), objects are associated with use-value or economic value, but are rarely considered as having life prior to becoming a finished object.
This video takes a creative approach to telling the story of how a piece of pottery comes to ‘life’. It begins by illustrating how this object (commodity) came to exist, seemingly with no human intervention. This is then juxtaposed against its production by the ‘humans’ who created it, thus illustrating how human creativity and labour are central to the creation of things. Stop motion is a useful pedagogical tool for telling this story, as it is possible to remove the creator from the process, but also allows for an alternative story to be told, where human agency is included as part of the life story of this commodity.
For auditory learners, these videos provide an audio version of the text.
For auditory learners, these videos provide an audio version of the text.
By telling the story of the life of Karl, a porcelain pig, I illustrate the role of his creators in bringing him to life. This project is envisioned as a tool for bringing an abstract theoretical concept to life for students who are first being introduced to Marx’s ideas. While stop-motion is a new tool for me, I found it to be fairly easy to use, but very time consuming. This film took about 500 photos to compile! I would supplement this video with readings and lecture materials, but overall, I felt the project was quite successful and a fun way for students to be able to review and recall this rather abstract concept.
Reflections on Putting Theory into Practice
Like learning the craft of pottery, learning new technologies takes practice. Having never made a stopmotion video, I was intimidated by the sheer magnitude of the task. But, the more I learned about constructivist approaches to learning, the more I realized that this project would have multiple benefits.
First, this project helped me to take a concept (Marx's concept of commodity fetishism) and look at it through a new lens. I wanted to provide students with an entertaining way to remember this concept. Through the planning and construction of this process, I was able to reflect on what the important concepts were and break them down into accessible 'bites' that students could understand.
For auditory learners, these videos provide an audio version of the text.
For auditory learners, these videos provide an audio version of the text.
Second, this project helped to link abstract theory to real world objects in a way that I believe makes the concept more relatable for students. The importance of this theory and how it was applied to capitalism, can sometimes be hard to convey in a way that students who are immersed in capitalism can critally engage with. I used this video to start a conversation about what we know about making and about what we know about the commodities we consume.
Third, using technology in this way added dimension to learning. It was, at the same time, visual, auditory, and textual, which meant that students were immersed in their learning, even if for only a brief time.
This project tied into SMART Goal One, as it was grounded in a theoretical understanding of learning. Here, I used technology to support my own learning through constructing a learning tool. I also was able to do so in a way that made learning more accessible to diverse learning needs (SMART Goal Three). By facing my fears around technology, and practicing the craft of using technology, I was able to learn a new skill and to explore how I might approach using this and similar technological tools.
For auditory learners, these videos provide an audio version of the text.
References
Marx, Karl (1981). Capital :Volume 1: A critique of political economy. London New York, N.Y: Penguin Books in association with New Left Review.