Appropriate Technology and the Dynamics of Village Industry: A Case Study of Pottery in Ghana

Abstract

The area around Kumasi in Ashanti Region, Ghana, contains several villages whose people specialize in a particular craft industry. This paper focuses on a pottery centre-Apiadu. Rural industries like pottery are of significance because they demonstrate traditional manufacturing techniques which use appropriate technologies, but which may soon be lost as industrialization proceeds. The discussion focuses on the dynamics of pottery manufacture, but first some basic data are given on the craftswomen and the technique, organization and income levels of the industry. The dynamics of the craft are controlled by factors internal and external to the village. Important internal factors include the raw material supply and attitudes of would-be potters-the latter somewhat influenced by education. Externally, demand for earthenware already dictates the narrow range of products made. Changes in technology and organization of rural crafts have hardly affected potters here, even though the pottery industry is evolving elsewhere in this locality. The effects of introducing the potter's wheel and of extending the range of products made are critically reviewed as are organizational functions like obtaining raw materials, transport, marketing and formal co-operation. It is suggested that change would not, on the whole, enhance the output of pottery or the welfare of the craftswomen.