ABSTRACT
In the previous chapter I presented a first account of artisans. There was an attempt to look at some historical precedents in order to bring out their more enduring features and to define them. In this chapter I go a step further to relate artisans and other types of small producers to the notion of simple commodity production (SCP); a notion I explore. It would appear that SCP underlies a number of these social forms making possible meaningful distinctions among those who in one way or another are designated as 'small'. Artisans are also examined in the context of a number of approaches on class that, invariably, are Marxist (in chapter four they are explored on the basis of some Weberian inspired discussions of class).
