The Values of Craft : the Indian case

How do we understand the role and significance of Intangible cultural heritage in our lives? What role does it play in the process of production of and consumption of crafts? What lenses are most appropriate as means of making sense of the economics of crafts?
The thesis investigates these questions with a focus on the crafts in India. It begins with a look through the lenses of standard economics and continues with a culturalists perspective. It then applies the so-called value-based approach to resolve some paradoxes that emerge during the course of the study. The thesis concludes with recommendations for economists, craftspeople and policymakers based on a utopian perspective on the crafts in India.