Repair and upcycling: Artisanal work as alternative engagement with socio-ecosystems

The article contributes to sociological reflections on the nature of work and its relations with the biophysical world in contemporary environmental degradation by focusing on the case of upcycling and repairing practices. Drawing on ethnographic research, the article considers artisans’ narratives and practices to shed light on how alternative ontological relations with communities and ecosystems are experimented with. The article expands current research on the sustainability, meaning and materiality of work by considering emerging configurations of ecological socio-material practices in everyday life. In a context where work has been tied to objectives of efficiency, profit and growth, the analysis points to the capacity of artisanal practices of repair and upcycling to retain the positive connotation of work as the ability to transform materials and the surrounding environment while preserving the ecosystem. The research highlights that everyday experiences of work can represent a space of changing and transformation of socio-material relationships, questioning the nexus between work, emancipation and environmental exploitation.