Ethnicity: Exploring omani people's diversity through their crafts

Abstract

It seemed that the lack of the involvement of ethnic groups, in crafts industries in Oman, is very clear. As a result of this shortage, crafts industries in Oman are affected negatively, because of losing ethnic groups contributions in this field. Regarding this challenge, this research paper will explore ways that can help to take advantage of these groups’ craftsmanship and participation in crafts enterprise in order to contribute to society's diverse forms of identity. The researchers Richardson and Dorr (2003) have not treated the issue of ethnic groups and their contribution in crafts industries in detail. They built their judgments on the fact that crafts in the capital Muscat, asserted that Omani ethnic groups are involved deeply in crafts industries and this could be considered as a generalisation. They did not provide any evidence to show ethnic groups involvement in crafts in the other areas of Oman. The art and crafts of ethnic groups as a research topic, appears in some studies, such as Gary Ferraro (2001), when he dedicated a full chapter to discussing art and its relation to anthropology. Also, Coote and Shelton (1992) when they presented Australian Aborigines, New Guinea, Indonesia, and Mexico ethnic groups arts and crafts. Furthermore, Afred Gell (1998) where he explored the anthropological theories of visual art using traditions - European, Indian, Polynesian, Melanesian, and Australian ethnic art and crafts. The ethnic crafts’ production line suggestion will cost the PACI money and effort to meet the authority's cultural objectives only, as the production line method (by prototyping crafts objects) usually creates a type of craft with less consideration of the market and the demands of the contemporary consumer. This comes about because the priority will be given to imitating ethnic styles of production.