Restructuring of AGW

Community reproduction is important to any community of practice. In AGW I have recently noticed the community restructuring and reproducing itself. Reproduction, according to Lave & Wenger, is “…historically constructed, ongoing, conflicting, synergistic structuring of activity and relations among practitioners” (56). In the last week we have lost a member because she decided no longer had the time to devote to the community. She felt that her inactivity was harmful to the group and so she said her farewells and left. We also have increased in size by another two members, which follows last week where three members joined (one of them has already left). We also have about four other members that I still consider fairly new. Being new has a lot to do with how much you have participated in the community, not with how many weeks you have officially been part of the guild.

This play in the fabric of our community of practice has repercussions up to the members on council. This week we had another switch of leadership with one of the five council spots going to a member who joined about six months ago. This changing of the guard highlights the fact that with successful production of a community of practice roles of participants will change. Old-timers who were once in center of the community moved to the periphery because, with “the successful production of a community of practice, [it] also implies replacement of old-timers” (Lave & Wenger 57).

I know that from previous conversations with our guild leader that she does not like moving people off council unless it is at their request. But for a number of months she had been concerned about the stagnation of the current council members who were becoming less active. This is a normal part of the production and re-production of a community as Lave & Wenger explain, “Learning, transformation, and change are always implicated in one another, and the status quo needs as much explanation as change” (57).

Lave & Wenger also claim that reproductive cycles are also productive. I am beginning to notice the historical traces that are created and recreated as new members leave the periphery and become central. For example often you will see (((Jen))). When I first joined the guild I had no idea what all the parentheses were suppose to be. What I discovered is that some members would occasionally write (((huggs))) and it clicked. (((hugs))) somehow morphed into merely the ((( xxx ))). Our guild also uses fuzzles as a symbolic and physical ways. The joy of fuzzles (and dung for that matter) are passed on from one member to the next. In fact a couple of our guild layouts weave fuzzles and community members into the same space. But I need to get some of those pics to show you all so that will have to be a post for next time.