ABSTRACT
The structure of artisan production in Ecuador has evolved over time. In the context of changing national and international economic policy over a period of 40 years, the numbers of different types of artisan activities has developed, transforming the structure of micro-production. These developments map onto the four phases of economic policy and practice: the oil bonanza, structural adjustment, the neoliberal crisis and anti-globalisation. The fortunes of artisans through these phases are linked to competition, technology, skills, and the capacity of the formal sector to provide both intended and unintended opportunities for artisans. This has led to a substantial restructuring of the types of workshops that are found. In particular, the relationship with capitalist production has decimated some activities though competition and has altered the internal nature of other artisan work, producing a shift from manufacturing to repair. This shift, however, has been neither lineal nor uniform for all activities and geographical locations.
