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Origami – from ancient tradition to global artfrom

Diffusion of Origami into the U.S. and Germany in the 1980

I wrote a paper on why Origami became popular in Germany and the United States in the 1980. This paper was part of my studies of sociology, I hope fellow folders find my argument compelling.

My Idea was that the succes of Origami in the west is linked to Japans economic boom, not due to developments of origami itself.


The first chapter describes the development of paper-folding as a craft itself and the history of its adoption in Germany and the U.S. This is followed by a section that applies the theory of the diffusion of innovation to the popularisation of origami. The next chapter uses this theory to argue for a sociological explanation for the timing of the popularisation of origami. The subsequent conclusion summarises the argument. Finally a small amount of figures that were used in the main-chapter is reproduced, to be followed by a list of references.


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