Artisans and fair trade : crafting development / Mary A. Littrell and Marsha A. Dickson.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Littrell, Mary Ann.

Contributor:

Dickson, Marsha Ann.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Handicraft industries--India.

Handicraft industries.

Artisans--India--Economic conditions.

Artisans.

Economic development--India.

Economic development.

Social responsibility of business.

International trade--Moral and ethical aspects.

International trade.

Physical Description:

xiii, 207 p. : ill.

Place of Publication:

Sterling, Va. : Kumarian Press, 2010.

Summary:

* Addresses the cultural conditions under which artisan work provides a feasible income alternative to other employment options* Offers a methodology for assessing the socio-economic impacts of fair trade artisan workAfter agriculture and tourism, artisan work provides the next most significant source of income in many developing countries. Yet because of its image as a "soft" or frivolous industry, some politicians and development professionals question whether the handcraft sector is worthy of investment. An opposing view holds that the creation of sustainable employment opportunities for poor people and a positive alternative to mass production outweighs the costs. Until now, the debate has been hampered by a lack of industry data.The apparel group MarketPlace: Handwork of India serves as the perfect case study to provide this missing information. Like many fair trade companies, it has dual goals: to generate income in the global marketplace and foster the empowerment of the low-income workers who run and staff the business. In conducting interviews with MarketPlace's artisans, managers, and founders, Littrell and Dickson produced an in-depth socio-economic audit of the group over time. The result, Artisans and Fair Trade , provides a quantitatively and qualitatively illuminating study of fair trade impacts and a methodology that is sure to inform current assessment practices in social entrepreneurship and business social responsibility.

Contents:

Artisan enterprise, fair trade, and business social responsibility and accountability

Perspectives for evaluating artisan enterprise

The marketplace story

Daily life as a marketplace artisan

Capabilities

Economic livelihood of marketplace artisans

Well-being

Evaluation of fair trade impacts, certification and viability of artisan work.

Notes:

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 191-200) and index.

ISBN:

1-56549-377-X

OCLC:

787851430