Traditional handicraft mastery within the scope of intangible cultural heritage: Sakarya example
Abstract
Traditional handicrafts include sustainable production methods such as using natural and locally sourced materials, reducing energy consumption, and producing less waste. This approach minimizes environmental impact and encourages the efficient use of natural resources. Based on this explanation, the aim of this study is to investigate traditional handicrafts, considered within the scope of intangible cultural heritage, and to draw attention to their sustainability. For this purpose, handicraft masters were taken as a basis. The research population was the Taraklı district of Sakarya, while the sample consisted of handicraft masters in Taraklı. Semi-structured interviews, a qualitative research method, were used to obtain data in the study. To achieve the research objective, eight handicraft masters were interviewed face-to-face and by telephone. Within the scope of the research, interviews were conducted between 25 June 2024 and 20 July 2024. Themes were created based on the information obtained, and the findings from the participants were interpreted in accordance with the research objective. The research findings revealed several problems, including the fact that handicrafts are in their final stages, their sustainability and transmission from generation to generation are difficult, the lack of economic returns in handicrafts, the lack of government support, and the disappearance of the master-apprentice relationship. Based on these findings, the study concludes with several recommendations.
Keywords
Intangible Cultural Heritage, Traditional Handicraft, Sustainability, Sakarya
Ethical Statement
Permission for the interview used in this study was obtained from the Ethics Committee of Sakarya University of Applied Sciences at its meeting dated 05/08/2024 and numbered 47/3, with decision numbered 135897. In case of detection of a contrary situation, TO&RE Journal has no responsibility, and all responsibility belongs to the author(s) of the study.
References
- Alivizatou-Barakou, M., Kitsikidis, A., Tsalakanidou, F., Dimitropoulos, K., Giannis, C., Nikolopoulos, S. & Grammalidis, N. (2017). Intangible cultural heritage and new technologies: challenges and opportunities for cultural preservation and development. Mixed Reality and Gamification for Cultural Heritage, 129-158.
- Altınay, M., & Dinçer, F. İ. (2017). Geleneksel el sanatlarının yaratıcı turizm kapsamında değerlendirilmesi. Journal of Recreation and Tourism Research, 4 (Special Issue 1), 343-352.
- Arıoğlu, İ. E. & Aydoğdu Atasoy, Ö. (2015). Somut olmayan kültürel miras kapsamında geleneksel el sanatları ve kültür ve turizm bakanlığı. Electronic Turkish Studies, 10(16), 109-126.
- Auclair, E. & Fairclough, G. (2015). Living between past and future: an ıntroduction to heritage and cultural sustainability. In Theory and practice in heritage and sustainability (pp. 1-22). Routledge.
- Begiç, H. N. & Öz, C. (2019). Geleneksel el sanatlarımızdan elâzığ palu çakması’nın sürdürülebilirliği üzerine bir çalışma. Fırat Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, 29(2), 181-190.
- Belber, B. G. & Duman, D. (2023). Sürdürülebilir turizmde geleneksel el sanatları ürünlerinin rolü ve önemi: hatay ilinde bir araştırma. Türk Turizm Araştırmaları Dergisi, 7(1), 31-48.
- Biernacki P. & Waldorf D. (1981). Snowball sampling: problems and techniques of chain referral sampling. Sociological Methods & Research. 10(2),141-63.
- Cominelli, F. & Greffe, X. (2012). Intangible cultural heritage: safeguarding for creativity. City, Culture and Society, 3(4), 245-250.
- Deniz, T. & Çelik, Ö. (2020). Somut olmayan kültürel miras taşıyıcıları: safranbolu el sanatları ustaları üzerine bir inceleme. Doğu Coğrafya Dergisi, 25(43), 123-138.
- Eroğlu, E. & Köktan, Y. (2013). Geleneksel Türk El Sanatlarından Çömlekçilik (Sakarya Örneği). Akademik Bakış-Uluslararası Hakemli Sosyal Bilimler E-Dergisi (36), 1-14.