Editing Do it yourself (section)

{{Short description|Building, modifying, or repairing, without the aid of experts or professionals}}
{{Redirect|DIY}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2014}}
{{Anti-consumerism |Theories}}
{{Individualism sidebar}}
[[File:Arthur Rothstein, Boy building a model airplane as girl watches, FSA camp, Robstown, Texas, 1942.jpg|thumb|Boy building a [[model airplane]], Texas, 1942 (photograph by [[Arthur Rothstein]] for the [[Farm Security Administration]])]]
"'''Do it yourself'''" ("'''DIY'''") is the method of building, [[wikt:modification|modifying]], or [[repair]]ing things by oneself without the direct aid of professionals or certified experts. Academic research has described DIY as behaviors where "individuals use [[Raw material|raw]] and semi-raw materials and parts to produce, transform, or reconstruct material possessions, including those drawn from the natural environment (e.g., landscaping)".<ref>Wolf & McQuitty (2011). Understanding the Do-It-Yourself Consumer: DIY Motivation and Outcomes. ''Academy of Marketing Science Review''</ref> DIY [[behavior]] can be triggered by various motivations previously categorized as [[market economy|marketplace]] motivations (economic benefits, lack of product availability, lack of product quality, need for customization), and [[identity (social science)|identity]] enhancement ([[Workmanship|craftsmanship]], empowerment, community seeking, uniqueness).<ref>Wolf & McQuitty (2011)</ref>

The term "do-it-yourself" has been associated with consumers since at least 1912 primarily in the domain of home improvement and maintenance activities.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Gelber |first=Steven M |date=March 1997 |title=Do-It-Yourself: Constructing, Repairing and Maintaining Domestic Masculinity |url=https://muse.jhu.edu/article/2269 |journal=American Quarterly |language=en |volume=49 |issue=1 |pages=66–112 |doi=10.1353/aq.1997.0007 |issn=1080-6490|url-access=subscription }}</ref> The phrase "do it yourself" had come into common usage (in standard English) by the 1950s,<ref name="Constructing Contemporary: Common sense approaches to 'going modern in the 1950s">{{cite book|editor=McKellar, S. |editor2=Sparke, P. |title=Interior Design and Identity}}</ref> in reference to the emergence of a trend of people undertaking [[home improvement]] and various other small craft and construction projects as both a creative-recreational and cost-saving activity.

Subsequently, the term DIY has taken on a broader meaning that covers a wide range of skill sets. DIY has been described as a "self-made-culture"; one of designing, creating, customizing and repairing items or things without any special training. DIY has grown to become a social concept with people sharing ideas, designs, techniques, methods and finished projects with one another either online or in person.

DIY can be seen as a cultural reaction in modern technological society to increasing [[academic specialization]] and [[division of labour|economic specialization]] which brings people into contact with only a tiny focus area within the larger context, positioning DIY as a venue for [[holism|holistic]] engagement. '''DIY ethic''' is the ethic of [[self-sufficiency]] through completing tasks without the aid of a paid [[expert]]. The DIY ethic promotes the idea that anyone is capable of performing a variety of tasks rather than relying on paid specialists.