Peasant Capitalist Industry: Piecework and Enterprise in Southern Mexican Brickyards

Peasant Capitalist Industry examines the handmade brick industry that originated and is concentrated in a handful of communities near Oaxaca City including Santa Lucia del Camino and Santa Cruz Amilpas. Scott Cook provides a comprehensive analysis of the brick plants (ladrilleras) which are privately owned and operated by individuals in the manufacturing communities who also are engaged in agriculture, either directly or with hired workers. Brick plant owners may or may not actually work as brick makers but all of them are engaged in the business as employers of pieceworkers (destajistas or mileros), and also as sellers of brick. Peasant Capitalist Industry contains detailed information about all aspects of brick manufacturing and marketing in the Oaxaca Valley industry. It also includes case studies of pieceworker and owner-worker household enterprises.