'Sustainable Design for Grassroots Production in Eastern Turkey through the Revival of Traditional Handicrafts
Over the years, social and economic inequities have led to a significant migration from the Eastern part to the Western part of Turkey. The major consequence of such migration, from underdeveloped rural areas to far more developed urban regions, is the socio-economic disorder and the difficulty people find in adapting to a different region and lifestyle. More developed western regions of Turkey welcome the human labour, but often make poor use of these people’s skills, many of which are important in terms of Turkish traditions and culture. Instead, most migrants are employed for their manual labour and are given menial tasks that contribute to economic growth. With this state of affairs; the loss of local knowledge, traditions, and customs of the eastern regions of Turkey also includes a tragic loss of traditional handicrafts.
The research project looks for a deeper understanding of the relationship between design for sustainability and traditional local handicraft production. This research is an attempt to delineate the barriers, restrictions, opportunities, and potential for the future of the craft industry in Eastern Turkey and to bring sustainable design principles to the development of this sector. The final contribution of this work will be a design oriented strategy/system for the empowerment of local people who are involved and who are willing to be involved in crafts industries and to ensure the sustainability of traditional crafts while considering the community-based social innovation opportunities and social, environmental, economic and personal dimensions of sustainability.