Artisan occupations in the global economy: A conceptual framework

Abstract

Craft production occurs in all sectors of the global economy. This paper provides a context for the study of the occupations of producing and selling crafts. Embedded in the world's political economy, crafts are a vehicle for individuals and societies to adapt to changing systems of production, a means for economic and cultural expression, and a voice of resistance against domination and oppression. Through crafts, tradition is maintained and/or invented, and marketed to consumers who find other meanings in the objects. Study of the mode of craft production offers insight into new occupational strategies to respond to de‐industrialization, using pre‐industrial forms. Romanticized by the Arts and Crafts Movement, the qualities of craft work took on therapeutic as well as economic significance in European and American society. Today, throughout the world, the marketing of crafts has economic and social significance. Study of work in crafts illustrates the contested nature of occupations and adds to the body of knowledge of occupational science.

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