Constitution et organisation de l'artisanat dans la France contemporaine

In the interwar period, organizing the middle classes is seen as a bulwork against socialism of the working classes. The idea is to build up a group, to assemble its potential members and tell them they are craftsmen, thus creating a new social identity. The State can then help them build their own institutions, give them official recognition and grant various advantages to them. Group spirit and common interests are thus created. In fact there is no real job unity among artisans ; their ideologies, political alliances and economic interests are diverse. In 1938, however, one of the tendencies becomes dominant.