Caiçara Crafts in Paraná Coast: A Brief Overview of Trade and Production.

For centuries, caiçara culture has been transmitted through orality from generations to generations on the coast of Paraná, being expressed in many ways, but especially in handicrafts, and this segment represents an alternative income for dozens of families in all municipalities of the region. However, despite the relevance of the activity, there is a lack of information regarding the production and trade of regional handicrafts. Thus, this study aimed to elaborate a panorama about the activity, evidencing its implications and potentialities. Exploratory descriptive research was carried out between March and September 2018. The total for accessibility was interviewed 24 artisans who practiced handicrafts based on the caiçara culture. The study revealed that the artisans were more in the male gender (n = 54%). The majority were older than 50 years (n = 54%), and most had only elementary education (n = 58.34%). The main raw materials used in the manufacture of caiçara handicrafts were leather of tanned fish, woods, seeds of native vegetables, vines removed from forests, coconut shells, palm leaves, feathers, shells, oyster shells, shells, which were often collected in nature. The main implications in the development of the activity were the low price of the handmade pieces; the use of pieces based on the extraction of raw material from nature and the bureaucratic difficulty to extract it; and the industrialized pieces that competed with the caiçara handicrafts. It was concluded that the organization of artisans in class would increase bargaining power with partner institutions and could solve problems such as the need for training to improve production, the insertion of new forms of commercialization and consequently the increase of income of families involved in manufacture and trade of caiçara handicrafts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]