INVESTING IN THE LOCAL CRAFT TO BOOST THE SELF SUFFICIENCY OF THE REGION

Currently, the relevance of crafts has increased on a global scale, both for rural development generally and for developing countries in particular. To combat the exodus of people from rural areas, governments and institutions are attempting to support rural development more and more. Crafts are seen as a key component of local job creation and economic growth. This study's objective is to use bibliometric analysis to assess the developments in craft research and how they have affected the growth of rural communities. “Research priorities that might develop into important developments in the near future are also highlighted. This study has provided a thorough, organized, and visually appealing overview of the 1,379 research published on the topic of the role of crafts in rural development between 1954 (the year of the initial publication) and 2021 (the year of the last publication). Changes in the number of publications, periodicals, authors, organizations, and top producing countries have been tracked. The results show that local communities' perspectives on crafts as a means of revenue, especially as they relate to tourism, job development, and sustainability, are the most preferred topics to study in this field. Research on demographic and economic effects of new craft items and methods on rural areas, and research into the potential of crafts to alleviate poverty in such places, follow these initial foci. Thus, the concept of handmade goods as a means of subsistence for economically depressed rural areas is emphasized.”