Software Craftsmanship is an approach to Software Development which focuses on the skills rather then the processes when developing software. Unlike mainstream approaches to Software Development, Software Craftsmanship views software as a valuable asset and not a commodity.

The roots of Software Craftsmanship can be traced back to Pete McBreen's book Software Craftsmanship which was inspired by Andy Hunt and Dave Thomas book The Pragmatic Programmer. In his book Pete questions the current state of Software Development and specially Software Engineering proposing a New Imperative to Software Development.

The Manifesto for Software Craftsmanship reads in it's current incarnation:

Manifesto For Software Craftsmanship

Raising the Bar

As aspiring Software Craftsmen we are raising the bar of professional software development by practicing it and helping others learn the craft. Through this work we have come to value:

Not only working software,but also well-crafted software
Not only responding to change, but also steadily adding value
Not only individuals and interactions, but also a community of professionals
Not only customer collaboration, but also productive partnerships

That is, in pursuit of the items on the left we have found the items on the right to be indispensable.

© 2009, the undersigned. this statement may be freely copied in any form, but only in its entirety through this notice.

More, distilled, information on Software Craftsmanship can be found at the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software_Craftsmanship.

You can check out Comparing Crafts to see different crafts as compared to Software Craftsmanship.