Are Artesanal Cooperatives in Guatemala Unraveling

Bibliographic Data

ID18992884
AuthorsJan Olson (corresponding author)
Year1999
Volume58
Issue1
Pages54-66
Publication date1999-03-01
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueHuman Organization (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0018-7259 • E-ISSN: 1938-3517
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.17730/humo.58.1.j622810411tpm113
OpenAlexW2172262116
LanguageEN
Citations received3
References cited12

Cooperatives are often instituted to increase socioeconomic opportunities for rural people. While this goal may be achieved in some countries, the specific historical and structural circumstances of the Guatemalan cooperative system contradict this statement. The entrance of cooperatives into the world market system and a change to a mass-marketing climate has altered relations of distribution and production. In particular, traditionally female-organized cooperatives and industries, such as for weaving, have been especially hard hit by these changes. This paper reports the findings from a four-month study of three artesanal cooperatives in highland Guatemala and of the Guatemalan cooperative structure. These findings indicate that the adoption of federations of cooperatives to increase production for a world market has negatively altered the entire artesanal industry and has adversely affected the socioeconomic activities of the small-business weaver

Business · Distribution (mathematics) · Economic growth · Economics · Population · Production (economics) · Socioeconomic status · Sociology · Cooperative Studies and Economics · Wine Industry and Tourism

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