Thinkers in the kitchen

Two critical issues, the study of the cognitive dimensions of artisans' work and a consideration of the engagement of the physical body that is critical in their work remains negligible. This study focuses on understanding how artisans think--how they organize and structure information and how they solve problems on the job. The emphasis is on understanding the relationship of the body in this process of thinking. A working construct of embodied thinking based on the meanings of embodiment derived from the literature on embodied cognition and an understanding of thinking as problem solving in real time was used to understand how bakers relate their bodies, objects, and space in functional patterns of thinking--a general pattern of goal directed thinking--in their work setting. Baking was selected as an example of artisanal work because the range of activities from product selection to the micro movement of kneading is similar in many artisan processes. Using qualitative research methods and an approach derived from cognitive ethnography, data was collected from bakeries in Somerville, USA and the Piedmont region of Italy between 2004-2007. An analytic model along the lines of a CTA (Cognitive Task Analysis) was developed to analyze bakers' responses to cognitive task demands. The analysis highlights how bakers' thinking is shaped by the unfolding dynamic circumstances that are typical of baking work. Bakers' thinking is strategic and expedient. The overall pattern of thinking is consistent irrespective of the level of expertise. Critical is each baker's capacity to attend and engage the senses analytically. Here experience and expertise matter. An expert baker has the capacity to attend and be present in the situation. Related to embodied thinking is the process of embodied learning or the real time adaptation and integration of new information. Both embodied thinking and learning are enabled by tasks that serve as an anchor linking the mind and body. Further research on embodied thinking in learning outcomes is needed. Recognizing the thought full nature of skilled manual work has a significant impact on policy as well as the design of educational and training programs.