Repair Joy: How small acts of repairing and creatively repurposing existing objects can foster social connection and lead to meaningful climate change solutions

Abstract

Repair culture, a social movement in which people value and practice repairing broken belongings over replacing them, could disrupt rampant American consumerism. Repair enthusiasts believe their actions, even very small actions like darning a sock, ripple and create meaningful climate change solutions. Social connection amplifies repair actions. Through events like Fixit Clinics and mending workshops, people connect, inspire and influence each other, and develop a sense of solidarity and purpose to sustain their climate actions. This investigation, conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, used personal belongings of the researcher to connect to global repair events and repair movement leaders to better understand how social repair events help people connect and learn new skills, even during a global pandemic. In her own home, the researcher created a family repair cafe to complete in-person repairs and reflect on the power of repair to connect people. Findings are presented in a zine format, a freely shareable, narrative booklet, a form often used to promote counter-cultural ideas and promote social change.