DIY culture in the 2000s

Acronym for “do it yourself,” indicating a tendency toward self-sufficiency

Initially used in the 1950s to describe home renovation projects undertaken by nonprofessionals, the term “do it yourself” has come to include music, arts and crafts, and publishing. Particularly in the 2000s, DIY products has become an increasingly popular alternative to homogenous, foreign-made, and mass-produced goods, and DIY culture represents a reaction against the surrounding culture of consumerism and corporatism.

With its roots in self-sufficiency, DIY culture encourages individuals to create, rather than to purchase, items needed in their lives. The trend in the 1950s for home improvement gave rise to the popularity of stores such as IKEA, which sell furniture in pieces to be assembled at home. Also interested in the self-made, punk bands carried DIY culture into the 1970s as a way to retain creative and managerial control of their music. Rather than rely on a record label, punk bands often preferred to self-produce records, create homemade merchandise, and self-publish zines. The zines of the 1970s became the how-to manuals popularized in the 2000s, such as the Complete Idiot’s Guide and For Dummies series, which teach average Americans the basics of carpentry, computer languages, and many other skills.

While cultural interest in DIY built over the decades, the 2000s witnessed this casual interest becoming a movement. The DIY movement represents a reaction against mainstream culture. In response to globalization, it encourages people to shop locally. In response to corporate businesses, it supports independent shops. Concerns about environmental pollution have prompted crafters to refurbish used or unwanted items that would have otherwise been discarded. DIY culture counters consumerism with creativity and technology with the handmade. Ironically, it was the rise of technology and the expansion of the Internet that allowed the DIY movement to flourish as widely as it did.

The Internet allowed the DIY movement to expand to the wider marketplace. Not only did it provide a marketplace for goods, it also fostered the sharing of ideas. Throughout the 2000s, websites such as Craftster (2000) and Pinterest (2009) allowed users to browse DIY items and share them with others, while sites such as Etsy (2005) and Ravelry (2007) provided a forum for creators to sell their wares and to network with each other.

Impact

With its emphasis on cost saving, DIY culture has grown in popularity in the late 2000s, following the economic downturn of 2008. Popularized by television shows like TLC’s Project Runway and those on the DIY Network, DIY projects air throughout American homes. As the economic recession set in, a growing distrust of large corporations resonated with Americans and inspired many to create their own futures, with DIY projects becoming a means toward entrepreneurship.

While DIY culture in the 2000s catered to home improvers, gardeners, language learners, wedding planners, and crafters, rising education costs are promoting a new subset of DIY: students. As classrooms become digitized, the possibility of DIY higher education will likely become an increasingly popular alternative to traditional colleges and universities in the coming decade.

Bibliography

Kamenetz, Anya. DIY U: Edupunks, Edupreneurs, and the Coming Transformation of Higher Education. White River Junction: Chelsea Green, 2010. Print.

Levine, Faythe, and Cortney Heimerl. Handmade Nation: The Rise of DIY, Art, Craft, and Design. New York: Princeton Architectural, 2008. Print.