Oudlajan: Narrates the Death of a Neighborhood The Study of Semantic Implications of Spatial Changes in Oudlajan Neighborhood of Tehran

This paper studies the semantic implications of spatial changes in the Oudlajan's neighborhood of Tehran. Oudlajan is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Tehran which has experienced many changes with the invasion rule of Bazar's economic logic and from a cultural - Historical neighborhood has become marginalized economics’ space of the Bazar. The Spatial Changes also affected the semantic context of the Oudlajan's neighborhood. In this study the process of the death of Oudlajan's neighborhood and its changes have been investigated by Grounded Theory Method.
Material & The research method is qualitative approach with an emphasis on Grounded Theory Method. The dominant methodological approach of grounded theory in this study is Glaser's approach (1978). Research data were collected using the Semi-structured interviews and field observations. To encompass the area under study and a deep understanding, field observation was conducted and all the conflict and interactive nodes in the Oudlajan's neighborhood been studied and observed in details. In the next step, to encompass more aspects of issue, two group interviews with residents of the Oudlajan's neighborhood have been done (A group interview with five residents and a group interview with six residents of the Oudlajan's neighborhood). Then, we implemented conducted group interviews and semi-structured individual interviews. During the interviews, observation of the field continued and did not stop until the end of our investigation. The duration of the field observation and interviews, was 5 months (from May 2015 to September 2015). The data analysis was conducted using a Glaser's coding three-step approach (1978). Coding is done line by line. The process of data analysis as follows: open coding (identifying categories, attributes and dimensions), selective coding (clustering around categories) and theoretical coding. Open coding is meant to search through the data line by line or paragraph by paragraph and assigning code to data and maintaining open of coding and observing the results of data. Accordingly, data are coding line by line; then in selective coding, open codes grouped into larger categories based on key categories that shape theory. In theoretical coding, these categories are linked to each other and the relationships between them investigated. This is a process of discovery and emergence of the theory that includes discovering concepts, linking concepts together and study modality of these connections. Substantive theory presented after coding of data and connecting the discovered categories with each other.
Discussion of Results & Findings showed that six basic categories have formed the process of dying Oudlajan's neighborhood which is interconnected with each other. These categories include: destruction of living history, institutional conflicts, normalization of insecurity experience, masculinization of space, deterioration of neighborhood and death of neighborhood identity. In fact, Bazar's economic logic, along with institutional incoherence and institutional struggle for legitimacy to attend in Oudlajan neighborhood have been fundamental factors in changing space and accelerates its. The central category is “capitalization of the neighborhood acts”, which is along with economic logic, has strengthened the relationship between the above categories. In general the above categories in a complex process have lead to this problem that be endangered Oudlajan's neighborhood and its historical - cultural existence and confronted with the problem as “Oudlajan's death”.