Conduciveness of Women Social Setting in Traditional Iranian Bazaar from Functional Dimension

Siyamak Nayyeri Fallah,Seyed Amir Mansouri,Mohamad Tajuddin Bin Mohamad Rasdi,Akram Khalili,Ahmad Ali Farzin

doi:10.5539/ass.v11n12p297

Abstract

Iranian traditional Bazaars are not just physical settings for everyday commercial activities. They are places ofcommunal life especially for women and provide the main daily sources of their outdoor recreations. Theresearch hypothesize that there is a serious lack of sensitivity to the cultural values, especially for women withinmodern Iranian market places. In this regard, the aim of this research was in filling this gap and describing therelationship between women communal life and urban public spaces. To reach the aim, this study was conductedamong middle-aged Iranian women within the Iranian traditional Bazaar of Isfahan (as the most public urbanspace in the Iranian cities). To increase the accuracy of findings, the data collection methods throughtriangulation were unobtrusive behavioral observation of women communal life within two selected settings,semi-structured single face to face women interviews (n=24), semi-structured focus group interviews (n=5), andtaking photographs. In order to analyze the collected data, a qualitative content analysis and descriptive analysiswere used. The finding of the research showed that the social settings of traditional Isfahan Bazaar are proper forwomen communal life functionally.

Highlights

In its most fundamental form, culture consists of norms that shape life conditions, behavior, interactions of humans
The aim of this research was in filling this gap and describing the relationship between women communal life and urban public spaces
This study was conducted among middle-aged Iranian women within the Iranian traditional Bazaar of Isfahan

Summary

Introduction

In its most fundamental form, culture consists of norms that shape life conditions, behavior, interactions of humans. These norms are transformed to unwritten rules over time and become common in more or less formal ways in order to control people’s lifestyle and behavior. Ralph (1978) asserts that from an anthropological point of view, culture means methodology of people’s lifestyle and their behavioral patterns, in a way that culture lies in the center of human behavior (Altman et al, 1980). Cultural values, influence people’s understanding and viewpoint about environment and influence space design (Altman et al, 1980)

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