Consuming Traditional Qashqai Dress in 21st Century Iran: Space, Place, and Connectedness

Abstract

The Qashqai tribe is one of many ethnic groups in Iran with its own language and traditions. Different regions of Iran, including where the Qashqai tribe is predominantly located in the Fars Province, produce and use different Iranian traditional dress. In this research, we explored Qashqai Iranian tribal members in the twenty-first century and what is negotiated about identities through traditional Qashqai dress and how does space and place intersect with identity negotiations through traditional dress. We identified the overarching theme of feelings of connectedness, that is, a sense of association within and between numerous and different spaces and places, interrelated to the Qashqai traditional dress. Numerous scholars have identified connectedness as a theme in relation to ethnic communities and their traditional dress. We expand on the nuances related to connectedness, examining a more indepth understanding of how this concept is negotiated within, between, around, and through traditional Qashqai dress.