Conference Presentations by Maulshree Sinha
This paper explores the Indian crafts industry-examining the craft communities from a social cons... more This paper explores the Indian crafts industry-examining the craft communities from a social constructionist perspective with the aim to document and analyse the knowledge exchange within and beyond these communities, thus illustrating the peripheral factors and issues which affect the knowledge transfer. In order to understand the knowledge exchange in the craft communities it has been important to understand the community structures, the outlook and the perception of crafts by the craftspeople themselves. In the Indian context, illiteracy among the craftspeople has always remained the primary challenge in the amelioration of the craft communities and their crafts. Also, the migration of the craftspeople from their crafts reflects the growing impoverishment of artisans and unsustainability of their craft. Mapping the invisible knowledge exchange networks of the craft communities reveals the top-down structure of the crafts industry; which incidentally, is also largely the result of the widespread illiteracy. Replacing the top-down structure with a bottom-up one will provide a more proactive role for the craft communities , thereby also the impetus for the much needed change in their social status. To keep the knowledge wheel turning, the study finds an insistent need to encourage interaction and collaboration among the craft communities and various interest groups employing different means and media to do the same. This understanding of the ecosystem that crafts-people are part of proposes the need for a paradigm shift in the outlook and perception of crafts, particularly in the context of the new knowledge-based economy, where information, creativity, and innovation play a major role.
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Conference Presentations by Maulshree Sinha