The Handloom Industry of Begampur in Transition

List of Tables and Figures Foreword Acknowledgments Introduction: Why Handlooms? Excavating the Trope Handloom Industry and the Indian Economy Perspectives on Indian Handlooms and the De-Industrialization Debate Within a Maze: My Early Research and Involvement Anthropology of Craft and Craftsmen: Concepts, Dimensions and Theoretical Perspectives The Backdrop of the Present Research The Handloom Industry of Begampur in Transition: Technology, Disjuncture and Development Methodology Structure of the Book Chapter 1: The Setting: People, the Place, Economy, and Lives History and Geographical Location of this Region Geology and Climate Flora and Fauna Population and the Ethnic Composition Education Occupations Infrastructure and Healthcare Facilities Literary and Cultural Traditions Chapter 2: Tracing the Historical and Cultural Landscape of the Handloom Industry in Begampur: From Past to the Present Historical And Cultural Geography of Indian Handlooms Handloom Industry of Bengal Handloom Weaving Tradition in Begampur and its Evolution Chapter 3: The Social and the Religious Life Handloom Weavers in Begampur Region Ethnic Origin and Religious Cohabitation Marriage Family Kinship Life-Cycle Rituals Religious Ceremonies and Festivals Chapter 4: The Craft of Handloom Weaving: Technology, Processes, Work Coordination, Products and their Market Loom and Other Implements Knowledge and Skills in Different Stages of Cloth Production Work Coordination and Division of Labour Raw Materials, Products and their Market Chapter 5: The Disjuncture and Juxtapositions of Cloth Production, Organization and Marketing Individual Creative Identity vs. Community-Level Collective Production Traditional Artisanal Craft vs. Technology-Driven Commercialized Mass-Production The Informal vs. Formal Organizational Setup: The Issue of Dependence and Relative Independence Empowerment vs. Exploitation: Types of Contracts and the Relations in Production The Utility Products vs. Items with High Aesthetic Content The Issue of Local vs. Global: Local Identity vs. the Process of Homogenization Chapter 6: Handloom Weavers Cooperatives Societies in Begampur: A Failed Experiment? A Brief History of Handloom Weavers' Cooperative in India Handloom Weavers Cooperative Societies in Begampur Region Rise of Begampur Handloom Cluster Society Conclusion Notes Glossary References Index About the Author