Capitalist Progress and Moral Economy: Sustaining Employment in India’s Handloom Sector

Autor:	Anthony P. D’Costa
Rok vydání:	2021
Předmět:	060101 anthropology Market economy 0502 economics and business 05 social sciences Geography Planning and Development Economics Global South 0601 history and archaeology 06 humanities and the arts 050207 economics Development Moral economy
Zdroj:	Journal of Asian and African Studies. 57:269-288
ISSN:	1745-2538 0021-9096
DOI:	10.1177/00219096211015270
Popis:	Capitalist progress implies the destruction of the old and uncompetitive sectors and the creation of new ones in their wake. However, in the Global South the loss of jobs in the older sectors is not necessarily offset by the new forms of employment. The objective of this paper is to critically examine how the vast employment in the Indian handloom sector could be sustained, given the competitive pressures from alternative technologies and products. Rather than allow the sector to be a victim of capitalist progress, this paper on moral economy grounds offers an alternative approach, which is to boost the demand for handloom products through commercial branding but one that is rooted in cultural valorization of artisanal craft. This strategy, complementary to state provisioning of subsidized inputs, comes at the expense of authenticity but is expected to enhance consumption and sustain livelihoods in the handloom sector.
Databáze:	OpenAIRE
Externí odkaz:	https://explore.openaire.eu/search/publication?articleId=doi_________::b00f180f5cf5a334084d52e47b7c0d55 https://doi.org/10.1177/00219096211015270 Zobrazit plný text záznamu