DIY

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DIY stands for "do it yourself", as opposed to paying a professional to do it for you. DIY once just referred to hardware stores in Britain that supplied amateur repair people with tools. Today the term can indicate "doing" anything from healthcare to interior design, from publication to electronics. The DIY ethic is loosely tied to punk and various anticonsumerist movements, in as much as it amounts to a rejection of the idea that one must always purchase the things that one wants or needs from others. DIY questions the uniqueness of the expert's expertise, and promotes the ability of the ordinary person to learn to do more than he or she thought was possible.

Contents

[edit] DIY Ethic

DIY (or Do It Yourself) culture is a broad term used to refer to a wide range of grassroots political activism. DIY culture became something of a recognised movement in the 1990s in the UK where the protest (the direct action) and party (the festival) converged. This development constituted a significant cross-pollination of pleasure and politics resembling the anti-disciplinary politics of the 1960s. During the 1990s, demonstrating the desire for an economy of mutual aid and co-operation, the commitment to the non-commodification of art, the appropriation of digital and communication technologies for free community purposes, and the commitment to alternative technologies such as biodiesel. From 1991-1997 the Conservative government cracked down on squatting, animal rights activists, greens, travellers, as well as the culture of raves, parties and dance culture. Some commentators have criticised DIY culture as a form of laissez-faire libertarianism only available to those who already have access to resources and leisure in this society.

[edit] Broader ethic

The DIY punk ethic can also extend to how any group or individual applies DIY political stances to daily life—especially how they avoid contributing to institutions they see as exploitive. These efforts include converting cars to run on biodiesel or vegetable oil, learning bicycle repair, sewing/repairing/modifying clothing, starting gardens, dumpster diving, etc. To a certain extent, DIY is simply a way of finding ad hoc solutions to problems that are otherwise usually solved with wealth or corporate support.

[edit] Criminal Justice and Public Order Act

In 1994, the United Kingdom passed the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 which contained several sections designed to curtail the growing free party and anti-road protest movements (sometimes embodied by ravers and travellers). It empowered police to arrest citizens who appeared to be preparing to hold a rave, waiting for a rave to start, or attending a rave.

[edit] DIY on the Internet

Technological advances in the last ten years have made it more possible for artists to circumvent the establishment and create high-quality works themselves. Advances in media software and the proliferation of high-speed Internet have given artists of all ages and abilities from across the globe the opportunity to make their own films, records, or other content and distribute it over the web. Such works were usually displayed on a private homepage, and gained popularity through word-of-mouth recommendations or being attached to chain letters (known as viral distribution). Sites like newgrounds and deviantART allow users to post their art and receive community critique. Next generation sites like Slip A Buck fuse together community art sites like deviantART and the DIY punk ethic to provide a venue for do-it-yourselfers to exhibit their works and be compensated in the form of tips. The internet has also been used by the DIY community as a tool for event promotions, such as on the DIY Convention DIYConvention.com or SeattleDIY.com.

[edit] Other Countries

DIY culture also evolved in Australia, where it was sometimes referred to as FreeNRG culture.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  • Elaine Brass and Sophie Poklewski Koziell with Denise Searle (editor), 1997. Gathering Force: DIY culture - radical action for those tired of waiting, London: Big Issue. ISBN 1-89-941901-9.
  • McKay, George. Senseless acts of beauty: cultures of resistance since the Sixties, London: Verso, 1996. ISBN 1-85-984028-0.
  • McKay, George. (ed) DiY culture: party & protest in Nineties Britain, London; New York: Verso, 1998. ISBN 1-85-984260-7.
  • St John, Graham. (ed) FreeNRG: Notes From the Edge of the Dancefloor, Altona: Commonground. ISBN 1-86335 084-5.
  • Wall, Derek Earth First and the Anti-Roads Movement: Radical Environmentalism and Comparative Social Movements London: Routledge, 1999. ISBN 0415190649

[edit] External links

The page was seeded with material from Wikipedia This term is part of the Infoshop Glossary

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