A Sociological Study of Second Houses in Iran and Their Consequences (Case Study: The City of Farahan)

Today, large cities as a result of migration have problems such as population density, environmental pollution, loss of values ​​and traditions, and social and cultural damage. Factors such as increased income of some groups and classes have caused some families to look for a place to spend their free time away from the troubles of city life and closer to the values of their parents. This demographic and geographical mobility, which is a seasonal reverse migration, has resulted in the emergence of another wave of urbanization outside big cities, such as Arak. The statistical population for this study was Farahan, a town in the north-west of Markazi Province, 32 villages of which were selected for the study. The research is descriptive and uses a combined qualitative-quantitative method. In this study, reverse migration and lifestyle have been analyzed. The most important results are: second houses are spread in all villages, especially in populated areas inFars and Khalaj. Their size varies from 35 to 1500 meters and are built on one to four floors, the architecture of about 30% of these houses is traditional, but modern materials have been used in their construction; the owners who live in Qom and Arak go to these places on weekends and holidays, but those who live in Tehran go there only on Eids, during religious holidays, or for marriage and death rituals. Half of the houses had spaces for keeping animals called barns, the accessories available and the layout of these houses are a mixure of modern and traditional lifestyles, and almost all the houses were built in the last decade, especially since the 1390s. Only about 10% of owners are women, half of the owners live in Tehran, and others live in Arak and Qom. 75% are more than 50 years old. In terms of education, 90% had a lower than college education. All owners are somehow related by family ties to the residents of the villages. About 70 percent of owners said their clothing was the same as or better than their urban clothing; in other words, they did this to show their wealth according to Bourdieu and Veblen. The relations between these people and the residents of the village are almost formal and based on mutual respect. In some rural areas, second houses cause tension and division among residents, whole in some areas they have had positive socio-cultural effects, such as empathy and participation in events in villages.