Women's Activities and the Preservation of Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Gorani Community

Abstract

Research endeavors within the domain of intangible cultural heritage, conducted within the Gorani community, highlight, among various aspects, the involvement of women in creating and transmitting knowledge and skills, which are perceived by the Gorani populace as a particularly important component of the Gorani tradition. Women are ascribed a key role in preserving Gorani cultural heritage. This study examines the activities of women in the Gorani community within the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage framework. The research is focused on knowledge, skills, and practices carried out by women, which unfold continually within the Gorani community during the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. It primarily concerns the knowledge and skills of women manifested through the tradition of designing and wearing clothing items, especially those pieces that have become over time an indispensable part of women's ceremonial attire. The empirical data also encourages an examination of the role of women in shaping identity paradigms and symbols in the Gorani community, as well as their expression, transmission, and the assurance of the continuity of these practices. The analysis of women’s contribution to safeguarding the intangible cultural heritage of the Gorani community indicates that the preservation and protection of Gorani tradition, as understood and recognized by the participants in accordance with the UNESCO Convention defining heritage, are conditioned by the social, economic, and political circumstances shaping daily activities and everyday lives of the people in Gora, both within and beyond their native local environment. It is also obvious that Gorani’s interest in their own intangible cultural heritage is unmistakable, as demonstrated by social and cultural practices that would be impracticable without the existence of this heritage. The Gorani people's aspiration to safeguard their own cultural heritage is viewed in the context of its contribution to the preservation and continuity of the Gorani identity, namely the identity of the Gorani community, which holds minority status in the Republic of Serbia.