بررسی تأثیر بافت محلات بر هویت اجتماعی، با تأکید بر هویت محله‌ای در شهر اصفهان

  The Study of the Impact of Neighbourhood Texture on Social Identity Focusing Neighbourhood Identity in Isfahan City     Vahid Gasemi   Assistant Professor of Sociology, University of Isfahan, Iran   Somaye Negini   M.A. in Sociology, University of Isfahan, Iran     1. Introduction   During past decades, generality of a given life style among residents in a neighbourhood caused common social goals and interests. But nowadays we are observing deep changes of life style accompanied by neighbourhoods' structural changes. With such fundamental differences between the present and the past, there are many neighbourhoods without any dissimilarity but their names. In neighbourhood texture, traditional characteristics such as social relations have been fading and even the names such as block and phase are used instead of neighbourhood.   This research studies the effective meddlesome factors on identity sense in present era neighbourhoods. Which characteristics and factors lead to the distinction, identification and forming identity in a sectional texture? What is the necessity of the place identity? What kind of human needs can be met by place identity? And finally, what are the identity indices in successful sectional texture? These are four main questions of the current research. The research method was comparative survey and the required data have been gathered using a valid and reliable questionnaire among 260 persons of the residents of two neighbourhoods of Mardavij and Abbas Abbad in Isfahan city that have been greater than 20 years.     2- Theoretical Bases   The hypotheses of the research were extracted from theories presented by Behzadfar (1386), Pakzad (1374, 1385, 1386), and Linch (1381, 1384). According to Behzadfar (1386), for recognizing the identity of a city, it is necessary to recognize its constructing elements which form its personality. He believes that the personality of a city, like the human personality, has two dimensions including objective face and subjective one. They are discriminable by three natural, industrial and human environments.   Pakzad (1385) has divided the place feeling and convergence to the space into two parts which are apparently contradictory but really complementary. - Independence and recognition of the space from the human beings. - Familiarity of the space for the person. According to him, although any space is an external and independent being, but during perception process transforms to a subjective phenomenon.   Linch (1381, 1384) provides five criteria, plus two "meta-criteria" for a good urban environment: vitality, sense, fit, access, control, plus efficiency and justice.     3- Discussion   Different cultural models are observable across Abbasabad compared to Mardavij. This neighbourhood has prepared stronger belonging sense than Mardavij. Such difference can be explained by relationships between the residents and structural elements which are considerably much more across Abbasabad. The modern texture of Mardavij could not respond to socio-cultural and entertainment needs of the citizens who have been living there for about three decades or less. This led to a weak belonging sense and weakness of neighbourhood identity, too.     4- Conclusion   Hypotheses testing showed that the effect of neighbourhood texture variable on social (neighbourhood) identity is confirmed. Second hypothesis about the effect of the spinality variable on social identity can not be rejected. Third hypothesis which states texture permeability has an effect on social identity is accepted. Fourth and the last hypothesis based on relationship between the legibility and social identity is confirmed, too. Four main hypotheses, as mentioned, are confirmed for two neighbourhoods.     5- Suggestions   13 main recommendations are proposed on the basis of the research results. For applicability of any recommendation, some policies are presented too. Some of them are as follow: - Encouragement to stop, - Creating visual attractions, - Resting places for pedestrians, - Promotion of environmental quality and, - Spatial-structural facilities.