A Re-definition of Iranian Handicrafts from the Perspective of Future Research

From the beginning of the formation of human civilization, handicrafts, as the most vital possibility for the preservation and continuation of human living conditions, have been at the service of human beings.  To this day, their presence has served as an opportunity to explain the identity and culture of all civilizations. Handicrafts also adopt a new approach in each period in accordance with the changing living conditions and the needs of society. Meanwhile, such an approach is affected by the response it should show to the material and spiritual needs of the audience. The combination of these features, on the one hand, has made handicrafts as efficient and effective examples in the field of creative and cultural industries. On the other hand, their technical diversity and climatic extent have provided numerous (and sometimes ambiguous) definitions for handicrafts. In the meantime and according to the concepts and components of future research, none of these definitions seem to have addressed the nature of this art industry (contemporary aspect) and its impact on sustainable development. Therefore, in this fundamental research, with the approach of exploratory futures research, an attempt is made to provide a scientific, modern, and strategic definition for saving the position of contemporary handicrafts by reviewing conceptual impulses. In this way, data collected through studying the documents and library resources alongside the field method (that is, in-depth interview). The result of this research has shown that the difference between contemporary definition of handicrafts and the traditional one is based on the significant relationship they have with creative industries. In a world where the passage of time is so fast that its value cannot be understood, the control and creation of time is a gift that turns contemporary handicrafts into a solution for cultural and economic development by designing futuristic scenarios. In this case, today's generation, viewing the support devoted to the rich culture and to the value of their traditions, will be able to shape the sustainable development of this art and turn this part of the creative industry into an identity worthy of the future.