Identification and Analysis of the Effective Factors of Carpet Weaving Industry Downturn in Rural Areas Using Q-Methodology (Case Study: Turkmen Carpet of Gonbad-e Kavus County)

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Assistant Professor, Department of Watershed Management, Faculty of Agriculture and National Resources, Gonbad Kavous University, Gonbad Kavous, Iran.

2 Assistant Professor, Department of Geography, Faculty of Command and General Staff, Amin Police University, Tehran, Iran.

Abstract

This study tries to analyze the reasons for the downturn of the carpet weaving industry in the Golestan Province and also takes advantage of experts’ opinions and viewpoints. The Q methodology was used to achieve a comprehensive understanding of the causes of the downturn. A total of 26 experts of the Turkmen hand-woven carpet were selected for conducting "Q-sort" data collection procedure. The factor analysis was conducted through a heuristic method using correlation matrix in order to identify the participant’s mental paradigms (viewpoints). Finally, six factors or viewpoints, with the total variance of 86.7, were identified. A total of 16 statements were offered in this regard including the following statements: 1) Lack of innovation and creativity and marketing problems; 2) Technical and technological backwardness and low economic proficiency; 3) Expensive cost of raw materials, lack of innovation; 4) The changed lifestyle and understanding carpet weaving as a hard work; 5) The weak planning system and institutional inefficiency; and 6) Lack of motivation, changed livelihood, and low economic proficiency. The results indicate that the statement 3 has the highest score (with the factor score of 2.05) among the various statements. This statement is followed by youth, especially young rural girls, unwillingness to work in carpet weaving field and learning its skills (score: 1.93) and lack of innovation and creativity in designs, colors, motifs and quality of the raw materials to improve the quality of carpets (score: 1.93). 

Keywords

References

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Journal of Rural Research
Volume 7, Issue 2
September 2016
Pages 392-405

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History

  • Receive Date: 19 February 2016
  • Revise Date: 23 February 2016
  • Accept Date: 04 May 2016

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