Summary
In the village of Camariñas (Galicia, Spain) the textile craft of bobbin lace mostly performed by women almost disappeared some years ago but is undergoing a renewed relevance nowadays. Identified with gender-role stereotypes, the domestic sphere and everyday life of women textile crafts did not used to be considered as a relevant practice according to patriarchal standards. Based on anthropological fieldwork I will explore how craftswomen ?also known as palilleiras- are using their traditional knowledgefor economic empowerment and, beyond, for social and affective empowerment. Moreover, I consider the complex role that local institutions are playing in focusing on bobbin lace as a heritage and tourist resource and on performers reinforcing certain gender and identity markers. By examining the different social agents interwoven (individual craftswomen, the associations and cooperatives they are creating and local authorities) I attempt to understand how this particular gendered practice is dynamizing the local.
Keywords
Gender. Tourism. Empowerment. Heritage. Crafts.