A (Hi)story of a Sewing Machine: Connecting Broadly as a Research Technique in the Study of History

Abstract

The objective of this study is twofold. First, it connects a domestic artifact, a sewing machine, to history. Second, it interprets the process of studying artifacts as a technique used in the study of history. To that end, in this paper, I take my grandma’s sewing machine and connect broadly to bring new insight into how the sewing machine exemplifies the changes occurring in urban Turkish society during and after WW II. By considering my recollections of the machine, studying the object, and doing a thorough literature review, I argue that the sewing machine represents Turkish society’s change from modernization to postmodernization especially when its past and present use is interpreted. Furthermore, the paper highlights the importance of studying artifacts by connecting broadly. It is also argued that such knowledge produced through similar inquiries reveal historical records that are of importance in the study of history. It is concluded that studying local and available artifacts from a historical perspective has numerous benefits.

Keywords

• sewing machine
• connecting broadly
• ww ii
• turkey
• singer
• teaching of history