Abstract

This essay focuses on the importance of the identity dimension for the definition of the local productive structure and of the international economic relations, referred in particular to the SME cluster of Tiruppur (Tamil Nadu-India). In this regard, the author defines the word identity, highlighting both the ideological function in the context of labour relations and the spatial dimension, with reference to the displacement of the Gounder group from the countryside to Tiruppur. The paper then goes on to describe the particular decentralized production structure of the textile Tiruppur industry, pointing out how the work practices and the inter-company relations are deeply rooted in the strong identity of the Gounder caste. It concludes with a description of the evolution of the Gounder identity starting from their agricultural and rural past to the present manufacturing work and urban life in order to highlight the workforce control strategy adopted by the local ruling elite.