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An Exploration of Women's Sociality Through an Urban Knitting Group Georgia State University ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University Anthropology Theses Department of Anthropology 4-23-2010 Stitching Together: An Exploration of Women's Sociality Through an Urban Knitting Group Gillian Barbara Ruland Georgia State University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.gsu.edu/anthro_theses Part of the Anthropology Commons Recommended Citation Ruland, Gillian Barbara, "Stitching Together: An Exploration of Women's Sociality Through an Urban Knitting Group." Thesis, Georgia State University, 2010. https://scholarworks.gsu.edu/anthro_theses/41 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Department of Anthropology at ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Anthropology Theses by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. STITCHING TOGETHER: AN EXPLORATION OF WOMEN’S SOCIALITY THROUGH AN URBAN KNITTING GROUP by GILLIAN BARBARA RULAND Under the Direction of Kathryn A. Kozaitis ABSTRACT The phenomenon of knitting groups is an increasingly widespread trend in urban settings. In this thesis, I argue that the resurgence of knitting groups in contemporary urban areas is the result of a nostalgic search for a sense of community within an otherwise complex and sometimes alienating urban landscape. Through ethnographic research in Atlanta, GA, I examine how women knitters whom I interviewed theorize their own interactions in the knitting community and the ways in which technology serves to facilitate these interactions. With lives revolving mainly around family and careers, the women who join knitting groups seek an escape from everyday life, friendship without strings, and the communal gathering focused around a leisure activity which holds social significance in daily life. INDEX: Women, Friendship, Leisure, Community, Sociality, Knitting, Cultural anthropology STITCHING TOGETHER: AN EXPLORATION OF WOMEN’S SOCIALITY THROUGH AN URBAN KNITTING GROUP by GILLIAN BARBARA RULAND A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in the College of Arts and Sciences Georgia State University 2010 Copyright by Gillian Barbara Ruland 2010 STITCHING TOGETHER: AN EXPLORATION OF WOMEN’S SOCIALITY THROUGH AN URBAN KNITTING GROUP by GILLIAN BARBARA RULAND COMMITTEE CHAIR: Kathryn A. Kozaitis COMMITTEE: Jennifer Patico Emanuela Guano Electronic Version Approved: Office of Graduate Studies College of Arts and Sciences Georgia State University May 2010 iv DEDICATION I dedicate this thesis to the Alphabet Knitters, without whom my research would not have been possible. Thank you for all of the Friday evenings full of laughter, friendship, and knitting camaraderie. v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to offer my gratitude to the following people for their never-ending support throughout this journey. There were too many people to list who were integral to this process, so for those who aren’t listed, know that you weren’t forgotten! Thank you: To Nana, for teaching me the joys of craft at a young age. To my parents, for standing behind me every step of the way, and for encouraging and supporting me in so many different ways. To Luis, my first friend at Georgia State. I thank you for the many times you explained difficult concepts to me lucidly, for the many rounds of Skip Bo, afternoons in the park, trivia nights and shared pitchers, and for all of the support you’ve offered me throughout our friendship. To Veronica, for always having a witty comment to make me laugh, for the many trivia nights and shared pitchers, for always letting me win at Guitar Hero, and for always being willing to go above and beyond, whether with emergency Ben & Jerry’s or a ride to work. To Pam, the best roommate I’ve ever had! I still find it so ironic that we moved in together before we realized how intertwined our thesis topics are. Thank you for the many nights of tea, Sex and the City, and frozen yogurt, and for the many conversations about women, leisure, and community! To Douglas Pippin, for always encouraging me to seek what I need, for all the years of recommendations, insight, support, and emails. For the unexpected mentorship and friendship---I truly thank you. To Steve Blaes, for forcing me to realize that I wasn’t ready to go to graduate school for Library Science, and for helping me find my way back to Anthropology. vi To Dr. Guano, for going above and beyond and re-reading my comps over Christmas break! Thank you for your insight, knowledge, and positive attitude. To Dr. Patico, for your insight and encouragement in the development of this research, and for the gift of an early start with the writing of an ethnography on knitting in my first semester. To Dr. Glover, for being such a joy to work with. You always made me laugh, even on the most stressful of days, and for that, I am grateful. And finally, to Dr. Kozaitis, for being as excited about my research as I am, for always being ready and willing to talk, for your invaluable and never-ending encouragement, support, and guidance— my thesis would not be where it is today without you. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgments .............................................................................................................. v Chapter One: The Concept / Introduction .................................................................... 1 1.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................ 1 1.2 Personal Background .............................................................................................. 2 Chapter Two: The Design / Methods ............................................................................ 5 2.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................ 5 2.2 Grounded Theory ................................................................................................... 5 2.3 Cultural Consensus Model ..................................................................................... 6 2.4 Interviews ................................................................................................................ 8 2.5 Participant Observation .......................................................................................... 9 2.6 Focus Groups ........................................................................................................ 14 2.7 Reflexivity .............................................................................................................. 16 2.8 Conclusion ............................................................................................................. 17 Chapter Three: Choosing the Materials / Literature Review & Theory .................. 18 3.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................... 18 3.2 Knitting throughout History ................................................................................ 19 3.3 The Social Aspect of Knitting .............................................................................. 21 3.4 Decommunitization ............................................................................................... 22 viii 3.5 Leisure as Resistance ............................................................................................ 28 3.6 Knitting and Information Technology ................................................................ 31 3.7 Female Homosocial Spaces .................................................................................. 32 Chapter Four: Knit One, Purl One / Ethnography ..................................................... 36 4.1 Introduction .......................................................................................................... 36 4.2 Knitter Profiles ..................................................................................................... 36 4.3 In Their Own Words ............................................................................................ 54 4.4 Sociality and Knitting ........................................................................................... 60 4.5 Intergenerational Friendship .............................................................................. 65 4.6 Knitting as Resistance .......................................................................................... 67 4.7 Knitting and Feminism ........................................................................................ 73 4.8 Friendship ............................................................................................................. 74 4.9 Knitting Out .......................................................................................................... 75 4.10 Social Support Network ..................................................................................... 77 4.11 Migration ............................................................................................................. 79 Chapter Five: Weaving in the Ends / Conclusion ....................................................... 81 5.1 Conclusion .............................................................................................................. 81 REFERENCES ................................................................................................................ 82 1 Chapter One: The Concept
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