ABSTRACT
The characteristics of the study circle are the small group and the principle of self-education. The first circles were formed at the start of this century, when education was communicated from the top down. Study circles devoted to handicrafts – classified as practical-aesthetic circles – are a meeting place for traditions from various origins: pre-industrial society, the cultural heritage of different regions, the educational aspirations of popular and political movements, craft professions, and domestic handicraft. Handicraft is also the basis for the sewing bee, a widespread female form of gathering which in Sweden is called syjunta. The reality of the textile circles reveals the values hidden in condescending labels such as ‘occupational therapy’ or ‘women’s hobbies’. This value-system puts book learning before dexterity, theoretical knowledge before practical skills, and male spheres of interest before female ones.
