Dowry patterns: re-thinking the collective digital craft-making as a language

Abstract

Previous work in CSCW on digital forms of craft pointed to the importance of materialistic, social, collaborative and historical characteristics of the craft. We add to existing research of how digital forms of craft engage with the longstanding traditions and rituals of the craft by introducing a case about the craft patterns from central Anatolia, Turkey. We present a collective ritualistic practice, the dowry making, and the patterns used in dowry to understand the relationship between craft and the dowry pattern as a reflection of those practices. By imagining how the craft patterns and craft-making should transfer to a digital context, we aim to inform how technologies and craft can engage on a level that respects the cultural, traditional, and ritualistic components that comprise the context in which the craft practice is situated. We provide several reflection points on how to avoid being reductionist in applications of technology.