Group 4 (Ayla, Ahmed, Ammarah & Ali)
Blog 4
The overall process of the project was quite interesting. Our group discussions opened up new perspectives for us. While we were discussing the likability of mushairas, we came across the aspect of an acquired taste. When Ayla shared her experience of how her grandfather usually forces her to listen to online mushairas with him and she is clearly is interested as she has never encountered them and finds it a bit boring whereas Ammarah shared her experience and likability of mushairas since she has been attending them back in school. This clearly sums up how taste is something that is acquired and one must encounter and understand it in order to like it. Ayla being totally new to it finds it boring whereas Ammarah having experienced it, has acquired taste. The experience may vary according to the medium one consumes it in. A physical experience of how they were conducted originally and an online experience may have different perks. However, after our research process, all of the group members have new visions about the mushaira mehfils and seem to be interested in such social practices in the future.
We have concluded that Mushaira Mehfil is a subject researched, through which designers can understand the impact design and technology have on these phenomena. As a designer, one needs to understand the repercussions an outcome of a design can have, as the design does have its own benefits and drawbacks but we need to analyze and critically evaluate all aspects simultaneously, a product of a sort does have an impact on the cognitive load of the users, their perceptions and acquired taste, hence changing the entire outlook how the user perceives a phenomenon.
History and culture have their terms and value, which is not only beneficial to a younger and new generation but it can help older people relive their memories and maybe help them feel young in heart. Especially a social practice such as mushaira has its value deep-rooted in culture and history when we as designers interlink cultural practices with design and technology, it does provide each of us with more accessibility and versatility in terms of choice where one wants to experience it in what conditions. Design and technology do help spread awareness about a certain social practice but at the same time, it tears away multiple elements from the practice and acting as a contamination to the practice’s essence.
We observed from our survey that a lot of people, especially the younger generation are not aware of the term Mushaira so if we pledge to revive this experience, we can definitely educate the locals about their history and traditions.
Urdu literature holds value in our school curriculum but very few people tend to pursue it or consider finding peace within it. If we get a chance to educate our locals to love our language and personify its ethical value, we might make it an internationally popular curriculum and share our cultural value amongst foreign countries. As stated in our research question design and technology does increase accessibility, and looking at our social practice form a political and cultural standpoint, it can help create awareness and build interest, again stepping into the realm of an acquired taste when it can be cognitively embedded through the digital space and can help spread a particular phenomenon internationally, which in this case is mushaira mehfil.
