Rural Markets an Attractor for Social Interaction in Rural Communities: A Case Study of Owena Market, Osun State, Nigeria

Abstract

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is determining the level of social interaction that occurs in rural community using markets as an attractor for residents. Design/methodology/approach- A mixed method approach (questionnaires and interviews) was used to obtain data from the market users. The mean score which was used in rating the level of interaction and the spaces where interaction occurred was calculated using descriptive statistics. Findings – The analysed data showed that good social interaction occurs within some places in both planned and unplanned rural markets. Research limitations/implications– The data used for the study was obtained from a rural market that serves other communities, the result could have been more revealing if other rural markets with different demography were included. However, the findings added to the expanding knowledge of user centred design of buildings and public spaces, by presenting the users perception on social interaction in a rural market that is organic in its design. The finding would also help shape the view of architects in researching user behaviours for public spaces. Practical implications– The perception of professionals in the built environment that rural communities cannot impact knowledge is discredited by the findings of the study. Practical inferences can be drawn from the study by the professionals and academics. The study findings shows that a market is a major point of attraction in a community and social interactions can be greatly affected with the type, arrangement pattern and nature of spaces provided within the market. The finding also revealed that even in a seemly organically evolved market there exists some form of social interaction spaces within it. Originality/value- The study explored markets as an attractor for social interaction and rank the spaces used for interaction while determining the level of interaction and ability of the spaces towards improving social interaction.