Handloom Industry of Begampur in Transition

Abhradip Banerjee is assistant professor of anthropology at Government General Degree College, Singur.

“This volume critically depicts how the Begumpuri artisans negotiate with changing socio-cultural dimensions, technological innovations, marketing and market forces. The volume will add a new body of knowledge in anthropology and would be engaging to those who are interested in the study of craft, craftsmanship, and their economy and culture.”

• List of Tables and FiguresForewordAcknowledgmentsIntroduction: Why Handlooms? Excavating the TropeHandloom Industry and the Indian EconomyPerspectives on Indian Handlooms and the De-Industrialization DebateWithin a Maze: My Early Research and InvolvementAnthropology of Craft and Craftsmen: Concepts, Dimensions and Theoretical PerspectivesThe Backdrop of the Present ResearchThe Handloom Industry of Begampur in Transition: Technology, Disjuncture and DevelopmentMethodologyStructure of the BookChapter 1: The Setting: People, the Place, Economy, and LivesHistory and Geographical Location of this RegionGeology and ClimateFlora and FaunaPopulation and the Ethnic CompositionEducationOccupationsInfrastructure and Healthcare FacilitiesLiterary and Cultural Traditions Chapter 2: Tracing the Historical and Cultural Landscape of the Handloom Industry in Begampur: From Past to the PresentHistorical And Cultural Geography of Indian HandloomsHandloom Industry of BengalHandloom Weaving Tradition in Begampur and its EvolutionChapter 3: The Social and the Religious Life Handloom Weavers in Begampur RegionEthnic Origin and Religious CohabitationMarriageFamilyKinshipLife-Cycle RitualsReligious Ceremonies and FestivalsChapter 4: The Craft of Handloom Weaving: Technology, Processes, Work Coordination, Products and their MarketLoom and Other ImplementsKnowledge and Skills in Different Stages of Cloth ProductionWork Coordination and Division of LabourRaw Materials, Products and their MarketChapter 5: The Disjuncture and Juxtapositions of Cloth Production, Organization and MarketingIndividual Creative Identity vs. Community-Level Collective ProductionTraditional Artisanal Craft vs. Technology-Driven Commercialized Mass-ProductionThe Informal vs. Formal Organizational Setup: The Issue of Dependence and Relative Independence Empowerment vs. Exploitation: Types of Contracts and the Relations in ProductionThe Utility Products vs. Items with High Aesthetic ContentThe Issue of Local vs. Global: Local Identity vs. the Process of HomogenizationChapter 6: Handloom Weavers Cooperatives Societies in Begampur: A Failed Experiment?A Brief History of Handloom Weavers’ Cooperative in IndiaHandloom Weavers Cooperative Societies in Begampur RegionRise of Begampur Handloom Cluster Society ConclusionNotesGlossary ReferencesIndexAbout the Author