The Manifestation of Dell Hymes’s S.P.E.A.K.I.N.G. Model in Intangible Cultural Heritage: The Case of the Evil Eye Bead

Abstract Book of the 12th International Conference on Social Sciences, Humanities and Education

Year: 2026

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The Manifestation of Dell Hymes’s S.P.E.A.K.I.N.G. Model in Intangible Cultural Heritage: The Case of the Evil Eye Bead

Dr. Didem Özşenler, Bülent İnci

ABSTRACT:

This study analyzes the production of the nazar boncuğu, one of Turkey’s traditional crafts, through Dell Hymes’s S.P.E.A.K.I.N.G. model and argues that this process should be understood not only as a handicraft practice but also as a communicative and cultural transmission domain. As a belief-based symbolic object associated with protection against the evil eye, the nazar boncuğu constitutes an important element of Turkey’s intangible cultural heritage. In this context, the study examines the communicative dimensions of the production process by focusing on setting, participants, ends, act sequence, key, instrumentalities, norms, and genre. The workshop environment and glass furnaces function as cultural spaces where traditional knowledge is transmitted, while the master–apprentice relationship plays a central role in sustaining intergenerational continuity. The objectives of production extend beyond creating an aesthetic object and include preserving protective beliefs, reinforcing cultural identity, and maintaining traditional knowledge. The stages of production, from melting and shaping the glass to motif application and cooling, follow a ritualized sequence supported by verbal instructions, bodily gestures, and craft-specific tools. Furthermore, authority, respect, and adherence to tradition shape communicative norms, while folk beliefs, oral narratives, proverbs, and rituals contribute to the genre dimension of the practice. Focusing on workshops and glass masters in Nazarköy, İzmir, the study adopts a qualitative research design based on ethnographic fieldwork, semi-structured in-depth interviews.

Keywords: Evil Eye Bead, Intangible Cultural Heritage, Dell Hymes, S.P.E.A.K.I.N.G. Model, Cultural Transmission