Flaneur and Reshaping of Urban Public Spaces

Flanerie is one of the most important social Phenomena in the everyday life of individuals in Iran. This Phenomenon implies on many different meanings and themes in urban public life. Flanerie is an action oriented to shaping a cultural space and is a sign of resistance against dominant discourse and formal culture. This research attempts to interpret flanerie experience in Sanandaj public spaces. The main questions are: how do flaneurs understand and interpret their experiences? How do they make their interactions and meanings in these spaces? How do they construct their own subcultures and resist against the rituals of dominant culture? The theoretical approach consists of a constellation, using the views of Simmel, Benjamin and DeCerto about flanerie and modernity. The research method is urban ethnography, using fruitful techniques such as deep interview and participant observation. Also sampling is purposive-theoretical. The findings show that respondents’ interpretations of flanerie experience can be classified in to five main categories: 1- the colonization of everyday life in urban public spaces; 2- the creation and reshaping of symbolic spaces through flanerie; 3-the differentiation/ dedifferentiation of everyday life through flanerie; 4- the carnivalization of everyday life; and 5- flanerie as an urban subculture. The main finding is that flanerie is a social practice oriented to resist the dominant and formal cultural discourse.