Manual for Research on Homeworkers

The Institute for Development Studies (IDS) in the UK and Women in Informal Employment, Globalizing & Organizing (WIEGO) have jointly published a Manual for Value Chain Research on Homeworkers in the Garment Industry. This extensive (nearly 200 pages) and very informative manual, written by Dorothy McCormick and Hubert Schmitz, uses a technique called "mapping" and value chain analysis to outline in detail how research in the garment subcontracting chain (or value chain) can be organized. The first part introduces concepts and issues related to homeworkers and value chains. The second part focuses on research methods, providing the tools needed to collect and present data. This part, for example, includes suggestions on how to conduct interviews with different actors, and presents a model of how to apply a gender analysis to garment chains. The last part of the manual is about using the research and analysis to make an impact on people's working lives. The manual can be downloaded at: http://www.ids.ac.uk/ids/global/wiego.html or ordered via publications@ids.ac.uk