The neglected heterogeneity of artisanal practices in cluster development programs;Evidence from handloom clusters in Varanasi, India

Abstract

Developing economies in the Global South, particularly Asian economies, have increasingly drawn the attention of policymakers given their contribution to the export of creative goods has steadily grown at 12.1% annually over 2002-2011, surpassing that of developed economies. Cluster development programs have long been touted as effective tools for sustenance of artisan community-based creative clusters in developing economies. However, being generalized, these programs are inadequate in responding to the specificities of each artisan cluster. This paper presents evidence for the same by highlighting the heterogeneity embedded in handloom practices of Varanasi, which is one of the oldest centres of textile production in India. To illustrate the same, handlooms have been identified to be spatially concentrated into five clusters, based on location quotient, and measures of spatial autocorrelation. Further, employing hierarchical and non-hierarchical k-means cluster analyses, these handloom clusters exhibited heterogeneity in patterns of co-location of distinct ‘schools of weaving’, identified by key qualitative attributes of production. Prevailing cluster development programs for handloom clusters in Varanasi neglects such heterogeneity. Hence, based on such evidence, the paper recommends policymakers to recognize such fragmented character of artisan clusters while framing cluster development policy for creative clusters in developing economies.