نوع مقاله : مقاله پژوهشی
موضوعات
عنوان مقاله English
نویسندگان English
Introduction
Clothing has always played a significant role in the cultural, social, and even political life of the Iranian people. As a result, Iran is home to a rich and diverse heritage of clothing styles, each carrying unique semantic meanings across its cultural regions. However, with the extensive changes Iranian society has undergone in recent times, the identities of many local communities have also evolved, leading to the loss of much of this cultural treasure. Despite this, there are still areas within the country where aspects of Iran's historical clothing practices remain intact. Studying these areas is vital for uncovering and understanding the heritage of Iranian clothing. This study, guided by the theoretical framework of cultural ecology and an environmental approach, explores the various influential and affected aspects of clothing in the village of Chenesht, located in South Khorasan Province.
Methodology
This research adopts a qualitative approach for both its design and implementation. In examining women's clothing in the village of Chenesht, a combination of documentary and field methods has been employed, carefully aligning with the research objectives. It is important to note that while ethnographic data play a key role in this study, it is not solely based on fieldwork; some data have also been gathered from written sources. The majority of the ethnographic and field data were collected through interviews with local residents and direct observations made in the village during two distinct time periods: the early 1990s (1995) and 2022.
Findings and Conclusion
Despite the transformations in Iranian society and the significant changes in clothing styles, there are still regions within the country where important aspects of the historical experience related to clothing continue to thrive in their social and cultural contexts, retaining their significance within society. Studying the clothing traditions of these regions not only offers insight into their social and cultural characteristics but also presents an opportunity to identify, document, revive, and preserve a vital part of Iran's indigenous knowledge in the field of clothing. Chenesht village, located in the southeast of Birjand city in southern Khorasan, is one such area where traditional women’s clothing remains deeply rooted in society, maintaining its social and cultural relevance. This study acknowledges that a variety of factors contribute to the formation and persistence of cultural elements, including clothing, and aims to analyze the clothing of this region from an environmental perspective.
While the environmental analysis of traditional Iranian clothing is not a new topic, it has not been systematically or comprehensively addressed by researchers. Previous studies have mostly highlighted the positive roles of environmental factors in shaping clothing, with less focus on the reciprocal influence of clothing itself. In this context, the present study, inspired by Steward's three-stage approach, seeks to examine how clothing in Chenesht influences and is influenced by its environment. The study begins by analyzing certain environmental factors in Chenesht as independent variables and investigates their role in shaping women’s clothing in the village. It then explores the ways in which Chenesht clothing interacts with and contributes to the social, cultural, and economic life of the village.
The findings suggest that Chenesht clothing serves as a reflection of the community's living conditions. In other words, it was created in response to these conditions, but once established, it has also impacted various aspects of life in Chenesht. The continued endurance of this clothing style, despite the widespread changes over time, seems to be rooted in its ability to influence and adapt to the evolving needs of the community.
کلیدواژهها English
