The expansion of capitalist relations of production in Mexican crafts

Market orientation and the craftsperson

“…One explanation could be that the pursuit of such activities is born out of perceived necessity and the desire to survive and maintain the prized lifestyle. This would be consistent with the findings of Lackey (1988) and Littlefield (1979) on craftspersons in developing countries, and also with the findings of North and Smallbone (1996) in the UK, who propose causality between outgoing, market‐oriented behaviour in small firms and difficult, economically disadvantageous circumstances.…”

“…Yet there are anomalies. Studies of craftspersons in developing countries indicate that quite sophisticated strategies are developed in order to remain true to artistic and/or traditional integrity, whilst also meeting the needs of overseas customers/tourists for much needed revenue (Lackey, 1988; Littlefield, 1979). Fillis (2002) also identifies at least some contemporary craftspersons in the UK and Eire as “entrepreneurial”, with market‐oriented tendencies.…”

From Peasant Studies to Agrarian Change

“…Byres 1981;Pandian 1987). Pandian Central America by Cook (1976Cook ( , 1984, Littlefield (1979) and Smith (1984a); investigation of the 'obtrusive logic of capitalist calculation' (O'Brien 1987) in PCP by Zapotec stoneworkers in contemporary Mexico (Cook 1976) and Sudanese peasant farmers (O'Brien 1987); MacWilliam's argument (1988) of the de facto commoditization of 'communal' land in the expansion of peasant commodity production in Papua New Guinea; analyses of 'customary' institutions of cooperative labour as a vehicle of class differentiation and exploitation in processes of commoditization (Mamdani 1987;Schrauwers 1998; see also Worby 1995) -and how those institutions and processes are gendered (Carney 1988). In addition, theorizing PCP/SCP in the ways illustrated contests explanations of the 'persistence' of peasant production by its 'functions' for capital (e.g.…”

L’économie politique de la construction des genres chez les mayas du nord du yucatan au temps des maquiladoras1

“…Avec la fabrication des hamacs, la broderie constituait alors la plus importante des industries artisanales au Yucatan (Brannon et Baklanoff 1987 : 171-172). Bien que l'existence de l'entrepreneurship rural ne fasse pas de doute, une auteure comme Littlefield a tout de même montré qu'une grande partie du travail des femmes dans le domaine de la broderie, de la couture ou de la fabrication des hamacs se faisait sur le modèle du putting out system, que la rémunéra-tion de la main-d'oeuvre était minime et que la population de la campagne était, dans ces circonstances, liée dans une position de subordination aux entrepreneurs de la ville (Littlefield 1979 @ ;Breton et Labrecque 1981).…”