Analyzing Intangible Cultural Heritage through Dell Hymes’ SPEAKING Model: The Case of the Turkish Evil Eye Bead

Project no. 33129 · Status: Kapanmış (Yayın bekleniyor) · 2025

Summary

<p>The&nbsp;<em>nazar&nbsp;boncuğu</em>&nbsp;(Turkish&nbsp;evil&nbsp;eye&nbsp;bead)&nbsp;holds&nbsp;a&nbsp;deeply&nbsp;rooted&nbsp;place&nbsp;in&nbsp;Türkiye’s&nbsp;cultural&nbsp;memory&nbsp;and&nbsp;is&nbsp;traditionally&nbsp;used&nbsp;as&nbsp;a&nbsp;symbol&nbsp;of&nbsp;protection&nbsp;against&nbsp;the&nbsp;evil&nbsp;eye&nbsp;and&nbsp;harmful&nbsp;influences.&nbsp;Although&nbsp;it&nbsp;may&nbsp;appear&nbsp;to&nbsp;be&nbsp;a&nbsp;tangible&nbsp;object,&nbsp;its&nbsp;production&nbsp;and&nbsp;use&nbsp;constitute&nbsp;a&nbsp;significant&nbsp;example&nbsp;of&nbsp;intangible&nbsp;cultural&nbsp;heritage.&nbsp;Dell&nbsp;Hymes’&nbsp;SPEAKING&nbsp;model&nbsp;provides&nbsp;an&nbsp;effective&nbsp;analytical&nbsp;framework&nbsp;for&nbsp;examining&nbsp;the&nbsp;communicative&nbsp;dimensions&nbsp;of&nbsp;this&nbsp;cultural&nbsp;object.&nbsp;According&nbsp;to&nbsp;the&nbsp;model,&nbsp;the&nbsp;production&nbsp;process&nbsp;takes&nbsp;place&nbsp;within&nbsp;specific&nbsp;social&nbsp;contexts&nbsp;(Setting),&nbsp;involves&nbsp;traditional&nbsp;roles&nbsp;such&nbsp;as&nbsp;master&nbsp;and&nbsp;apprentice&nbsp;(Participants),&nbsp;and&nbsp;is&nbsp;shaped&nbsp;by&nbsp;the&nbsp;purposes&nbsp;of&nbsp;cultural&nbsp;preservation&nbsp;and&nbsp;transmission&nbsp;(Ends).&nbsp;The&nbsp;Act&nbsp;Sequence&nbsp;encompasses&nbsp;a&nbsp;ritualized&nbsp;process&nbsp;ranging&nbsp;from&nbsp;melting&nbsp;and&nbsp;shaping&nbsp;the&nbsp;glass&nbsp;to&nbsp;creating&nbsp;and&nbsp;applying&nbsp;the&nbsp;characteristic&nbsp;motifs.</p><p>The&nbsp;language&nbsp;and&nbsp;behaviors&nbsp;employed&nbsp;during&nbsp;the&nbsp;production&nbsp;of&nbsp;the&nbsp;<em>nazar&nbsp;boncuğu</em>&nbsp;reflect&nbsp;a&nbsp;particular&nbsp;tone&nbsp;(Key),&nbsp;in&nbsp;which&nbsp;the&nbsp;transmission&nbsp;of&nbsp;knowledge&nbsp;is&nbsp;characterized&nbsp;by&nbsp;seriousness,&nbsp;tradition,&nbsp;and&nbsp;respect.&nbsp;Verbal&nbsp;communication,&nbsp;bodily&nbsp;gestures,&nbsp;and&nbsp;the&nbsp;tools&nbsp;associated&nbsp;with&nbsp;craftsmanship&nbsp;(Instrumentalities)&nbsp;constitute&nbsp;the&nbsp;primary&nbsp;means&nbsp;through&nbsp;which&nbsp;knowledge&nbsp;and&nbsp;skills&nbsp;are&nbsp;communicated.&nbsp;In&nbsp;accordance&nbsp;with&nbsp;established&nbsp;Norms,&nbsp;the&nbsp;master’s&nbsp;authority&nbsp;is&nbsp;recognized,&nbsp;while&nbsp;production&nbsp;techniques&nbsp;are&nbsp;preserved&nbsp;and&nbsp;transmitted&nbsp;through&nbsp;tradition.&nbsp;The&nbsp;Genres&nbsp;associated&nbsp;with&nbsp;the&nbsp;production&nbsp;and&nbsp;cultural&nbsp;meanings&nbsp;of&nbsp;the&nbsp;<em>nazar&nbsp;boncuğu</em>&nbsp;are&nbsp;closely&nbsp;intertwined&nbsp;with&nbsp;folk&nbsp;narratives,&nbsp;traditional&nbsp;beliefs,&nbsp;and&nbsp;proverbs.&nbsp;Thus,&nbsp;the&nbsp;<em>nazar&nbsp;boncuğu</em>&nbsp;functions&nbsp;not&nbsp;merely&nbsp;as&nbsp;a&nbsp;visual&nbsp;object&nbsp;but&nbsp;also&nbsp;as&nbsp;a&nbsp;form&nbsp;of&nbsp;cultural&nbsp;expression.&nbsp;In&nbsp;accordance&nbsp;with&nbsp;UNESCO’s&nbsp;definition&nbsp;of&nbsp;intangible&nbsp;cultural&nbsp;heritage,&nbsp;its&nbsp;production&nbsp;process&nbsp;represents&nbsp;a&nbsp;form&nbsp;of&nbsp;collective&nbsp;memory&nbsp;that&nbsp;is&nbsp;transmitted&nbsp;from&nbsp;generation&nbsp;to&nbsp;generation&nbsp;(UNESCO,&nbsp;2003;&nbsp;Smith&nbsp;&amp;&nbsp;Akagawa,&nbsp;2009).</p><p>Within&nbsp;this&nbsp;context,&nbsp;Hymes’&nbsp;SPEAKING&nbsp;model&nbsp;makes&nbsp;it&nbsp;possible&nbsp;to&nbsp;interpret&nbsp;the&nbsp;production&nbsp;of&nbsp;the&nbsp;<em>nazar&nbsp;boncuğu</em>&nbsp;not&nbsp;merely&nbsp;as&nbsp;a&nbsp;craft,&nbsp;but&nbsp;also&nbsp;as&nbsp;a&nbsp;communicative&nbsp;practice,&nbsp;a&nbsp;process&nbsp;of&nbsp;meaning-making,&nbsp;and&nbsp;a&nbsp;means&nbsp;of&nbsp;transmitting&nbsp;cultural&nbsp;identity.&nbsp;Such&nbsp;an&nbsp;analysis&nbsp;demonstrates&nbsp;the&nbsp;importance&nbsp;of&nbsp;examining&nbsp;not&nbsp;only&nbsp;the&nbsp;cultural&nbsp;product&nbsp;itself&nbsp;but&nbsp;also&nbsp;the&nbsp;social,&nbsp;linguistic,&nbsp;and&nbsp;symbolic&nbsp;interactions&nbsp;embedded&nbsp;in&nbsp;its&nbsp;production&nbsp;process.&nbsp;Accordingly,&nbsp;the&nbsp;SPEAKING&nbsp;framework&nbsp;contributes&nbsp;to&nbsp;intangible&nbsp;cultural&nbsp;heritage&nbsp;studies&nbsp;by&nbsp;revealing&nbsp;how&nbsp;cultural&nbsp;knowledge,&nbsp;values,&nbsp;practices,&nbsp;and&nbsp;identities&nbsp;are&nbsp;continuously&nbsp;negotiated,&nbsp;reproduced,&nbsp;and&nbsp;transmitted&nbsp;through&nbsp;communicative&nbsp;interaction.</p>

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