صنایع‌دستی و توسعۀ پایدار محلی واکاوی دیدگاه‌های بافندگان پیشکسوت هنرصنعت زیلو

Introduction

Handicrafts, as indigenous and culturally rooted industries, have long been recognized as powerful tools for promoting employment, empowering communities, and reinforcing local economies, particularly in rural regions. In developing countries where limited capital represents a major constraint on production, handicrafts—requiring relatively low investment and relying on abundant labor—can provide sustainable alternatives for balanced development. In Iran, handicrafts represent not only a significant cultural and historical legacy but also a strategic economic sector, with 299 officially registered crafts generating considerable annual revenue. Among these crafts, Zilou weaving holds a unique position. Meybod, the historical hub of this textile art, was designated as the “World City of Zilou” by the World Crafts Council in 2018. However, despite its historical prestige and cultural symbolism, Zilou weaving has faced gradual decline due to industrial substitutes, weak institutional support, and declining interest among younger generations.

This study addresses the critical question: What strategies, from the perspective of Pioneer Zilou Weavers, can revitalize this traditional craft and strengthen its role in local sustainable development? By focusing on their experiences, the research aims to bridge gaps in the existing literature, which has largely focused on descriptive or historical aspects of Zilou but has rarely examined its economic dimensions and practical revitalization strategies.



Methodology

The research employed a qualitative design within the interpretive paradigm, emphasizing the lived experiences and tacit knowledge of Pioneer Zilou Weavers. Data collection relied on in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 26 master weavers from Yazd Province, selected through theoretical sampling combined with purposive and snowball approaches. Inclusion criteria required more than 30 years of weaving experience, ensuring deep professional expertise and contextual familiarity. The participants, with an average age of 77 and nearly six decades of practice, represented diverse localities within the region.

Interviews were transcribed and systematically coded using MAXQDA software. Data analysis followed Braun and Clarke’s six-phase thematic analysis, encompassing familiarization with the data, initial coding, theme identification, review, definition, and final reporting. To ensure trustworthiness, the study adopted Lincoln and Guba’s four criteria: credibility (through participant validation of preliminary findings), transferability (via purposive sampling of highly experienced artisans), dependability (achieved by intercoder agreement with Cohen’s Kappa coefficient of 0.83), and confirmability (through full audit trails documenting coding and theme development).



Results and discussion

Findings revealed two major thematic axes: (1) economic and social transformations of Zilou weaving, and (2) strategies for revitalizing its economic role.

1. Economic and Social Transformations

Zilou weaving has undergone profound shifts over the past decades. Once flourishing due to reliance on local cotton, traditional skills, and a stable domestic and export market, the craft entered into decline with the emergence of machine-made carpets and synthetic floor coverings. These substitutes offered cheaper prices, higher variety, and broader availability, eroding Zilou’s competitiveness. As a result, household income from weaving dropped significantly, forcing many artisans to seek alternative livelihoods.

Workforce composition also changed dramatically. While older generations began weaving from childhood and transferred skills intergenerationally, younger cohorts increasingly abandoned the craft in favor of formal education and modern professions with higher returns. This generational discontinuity weakened the reproduction of human capital in Zilou weaving. Furthermore, despite its historical prestige, weaving is now often perceived as arduous and poorly remunerated work, with limited appeal as a full-time occupation.

From a social perspective, Zilou weaving was traditionally embedded in household economies, often involving the collective participation of family members, including women. It fostered intergenerational learning, social cohesion, and a sense of pride and cultural identity. However, declining demand and economic hardship have diminished its social vibrancy, although Pioneer Zilou Weavers still regard it as a meaningful cultural practice.

2. Strategies for Revitalization

Pioneer Zilou Weavers proposed several interconnected strategies to restore the craft’s economic sustainability and link it to local development:

• Institutional Support: Stronger government facilitation, provision of social insurance for weavers, stabilization of raw material prices, and targeted promotional campaigns.

• Market Development: Establishing dedicated sales centers, fostering local branding, and promoting exports to reach international markets.

• Product Innovation: Introducing diversity in colors and motifs while preserving authenticity, highlighting health-related advantages of cotton-based Zilou (e.g., its non-allergenic and eco-friendly qualities).

• Cultural Heritage Preservation: Documenting masterworks in museums, organizing exhibitions, recognizing master artisans, and encouraging intergenerational transmission of skills.

These strategies align with international literature emphasizing handicrafts as cultural capital, vehicles for empowerment, and contributors to creative economies. The study highlights the urgent need for balancing industrial growth in regions like Meybod with the preservation of traditional industries, given the social and environmental costs of unchecked industrialization.



Conclusion

This research demonstrates that while Zilou weaving faces structural challenges—including the erosion of competitive advantage, declining youth participation, and weak institutional backing—it retains considerable potential for revitalization. The proposed strategies, grounded in the lived experiences of Pioneer Zilou Weavers, emphasize effective connections between production and markets, brand-based exploitation of global recognition, institutional support, and policies oriented toward heritage preservation, sustainable development, and social capital reproduction.

Particularly in rural contexts, where limited capital remains the most serious constraint on production, these measures acquire heightened significance. By integrating economic revitalization with cultural continuity, Zilou weaving can once again serve as both a livelihood strategy and a cornerstone of local sustainable development.



Funding

This article is derived from the corresponding author’s thesis, which was carried out with financial support from the Iran Small Industries and Industries Parks Organization (ISIPO) – Yazd Province.



Authors’ Contribution

The first and second authors had the greatest contribution to the conceptualization, research design, and writing of the article. The third author mainly contributed to the methodology. All authors reviewed and approved the final version of the manuscript.



Conflict of Interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.



Acknowledgments

We thank the Pioneer Zilou Weavers for their invaluable cooperation and the academic colleagues who provided constructive feedback.