Tomorrow’s Past: How Artisans Balance Tradition and Novelty Through Social Engagement

This study investigates how artisans navigate the tension between tradition and novelty to ensure the persistence of craft. Drawing on a field study of Italian bookbinding, we illustrate how artisans engage with relevant actors—peers, customers, and society at large—to sustain tradition and embrace novelty. Specifically, we uncover three mechanisms: legitimizing with peers, negotiating with customers, and educating society. These mechanisms allow artisans to reach an optimal balance—an approach to craft that preserves traditional techniques and values while embracing creative experimentation. By conceptualizing the social engagement underpinning this equilibrium, our study contributes to highlighting that the social relationships outside the workshop, as well as the craft activity carried out within it, are crucial to ensure the persistence of craft firms over time.