Artisanal work and production in the contemporary society: Realities, changes and challenges

This paper to make a theoretical and empirical analysis on the new configurations of the artisanal work and production in their embeddedness in the contemporary economy and society, particularly in the handicraft value chain. This paper investigates the artisanal work and production, your conditions and organizational forms and the embeddedness of artisanal work in the networks of socio economics and institutional relations and their immersion in cultural and natural environment. The social investigation of artisanal work and production groups arises as important theme because the handicraft is a traditional activity as well present in the contemporary society. The investigation uses qualitative research methodology through the case study of the artisans who use as raw material the fiber of buriti associated in the Cooperative of Artisans of Lençóis Maranhenses (Artecoop) in the Cities of Barreirinhas - State of Maranhão – Brazil. Makes a triangulation of case study with documental research, direct observation in the field work and the use of semi structured interview. An important question is the investigation of the artisanal work organization on cooperatives and association and how your products flows at handicrafts value chain. Evidence of research show a socioeconomic reality where predominates the precarious and informal work performed at home. The organizations of craftswomen are embedded in networks both of cooperation as of competition, subordination and dependency. This investigations are relevant for describes the new configurations of artisanal work and production immersed in the contemporary society.