Abstract:
Firstly, to study the production pattern and production relations of local textile weaving. Secondly to analyse the effects of the local weaving industry on income and employment in the studied villages. Thirdly, to examine whether employment can be generated based on the promotion of a local production system and techniques which already exist within the village community, and can be expanded on the impetus of demand from outside. The study also examined whether local production based on indigenous skills and expertise can be an alternative rural development strategy for some potential villages. Two villages, namely, Ban Tintok and Ban Huanam located at Tambon Silalaeng in Amphur Poa, Nan Province were purposively chosen for case studies. The local inhabitants are Tai Lue who have had the expertise of weaving cotton yarn into beautiful textiles mainly for local use for a long time. The distinctive weaving pattern is known as 'lai nam lai' and 'lai tai lue'. In recent years female weavers have formed together into weaving groups along the line of co-operatives in order to produce textiles to satisfy the demand from outside. The methods for collecting information were: interviews using structured questionnaires; in-depth interview of key informants; and field observations. Out of a total of 56 female weavers in the two villages, 44 were interviewed. The theoretical underpinning of the study combines aspects of the community culture approach to development, with elements from informal sector theory. The community culture approach sees local textile weaving as being part of the indigenous skills and production system which exist before the village's production pattern was penetrated by the forces of capitalism from outside. On the other hand, the informal sector approach sees village production as a part of informal sector work which can be promoted for rural development by linking it to the impetus of demand from outside. The strategy of informal sector promotion has tended to focus on subcontracting work from modern factories to village workers-for instance, sewing of cut garments, or assembling of parts for electronic products. These kinds of work do not require much skill and training. They provide employment and income, but do not enhance skills or meaningful new expertise to villagers. Whereas the community culture approach suggests that skills and techniques which already exist in the village should also be developed as part of employment promotion. By focussing on local expertise, the skills and potential of the village economy can be presserved and developed further. The major findings of the study are as follows. The co-operative groupings among the weavers resulted from the process of learning-by-doing between villagers and some NGOs which wanted to promote local expertise of these villages. The promotion of local weaving as a means of furthering the livelihood of villagers is in harmony with the local community culture. The co-operative relations and the local expertise enhance the bargaining power of the producers. The most important economic effects have been an increase in employment and income, and a reduction in unemployment and emigration to work elsewhere. Members of the weaving group earned on average 10,211 bath per year, which accounted for about 27% of their household income. The problems they faced were the high prices of cotton input, lack of current capital and fierce competition in the market. The major conclusion of the study is that home-based work draws on the heritage of the local community culture is superior to factory subcontracting in several ways. It strengthens the existing skill base of the community, provides the villagers with more bargaining power, and has greater potential for delivering a stable source of income into the future.