Conduciveness of women social setting in traditional Iranian bazaar from functional dimension

Abstract

Iranian traditional Bazaars are not just physical settings for everyday commercial activities. They are places of communal life especially for women and provide the main daily sources of their outdoor recreations. The research hypothesize that there is a serious lack of sensitivity to the cultural values, especially for women within modern Iranian market places. In this regard, the aim of this research was in filling this gap and describing the relationship between women communal life and urban public spaces. To reach the aim, this study was conducted among middle-aged Iranian women within the Iranian traditional Bazaar of Isfahan (as the most public urban space in the Iranian cities). To increase the accuracy of findings, the data collection methods through triangulation 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), and taking photographs. In order to analyze the collected data, a qualitative content analysis and descriptive analysis were used. The finding of the research showed that the social settings of traditional Isfahan Bazaar are proper for women communal life functionally.