A proposito di economia neo-artigianale: Il rinnovato interesse delle scienze sociali per la produzione ed il consumo artigianale

Despite their marginalisation during the twentieth century, artisanal production and consumption are experiencing renewed significance. This article briefly reconstructs a genealogy of the recent debate on craft, examining in particular the distinctive features of the «neo-craft economy», marked by a strong symbolic dimension and a search for authenticity. The article identifies three key tensions within today’s neo-artisanal economy: the conflict with large-scale industries seeking to exploit the symbolic value of artisanal products for profit; the material and symbolic barriers preventing substantial components of the wider population from participating in the neo-craft economy in socially recognised and legitimate ways; the impact of the neo-craft economy on urban transformations. Ultimately, the neo-craft economy appears marked by a fundamental tension inherent in its nature: it serves as a potential frontier of resistance against industrial capitalism while also being a phenomenon that potentially perpetuates economic and social inequalities.