Analyzing the changes of rural housing in Mazandaran Province

Rural housing is a social, cultural, economic, and skeletal phenomenon that have developed for providing required conditions for living. Main function of housing, in addition to being a shelter, is providing good conditions for family to fulfill their activities. In recent years, rural housing as a physical and cultural element has vastly changed. This cultural element, in addition to its resident role, is considered as a part of working and production space as well as storing space for life requirements. In recent decades rural housing has sustained considerable changes, so as main role of housing that related to family’s living and economic activities has diminished and it can’t fulfill the needs of a rural society. Given to our purpose we used descriptive-analytic as the research method. The quantitative (statistic) methods were used for analyzing field data
One of the most important concerns for many people is the sustainable development alongside of human development. In such strategy optimal use of resources without destruction has a significant importance. One of the components of the human development is providing suitable housing appropriate for human dignity without destructing natural resources. Planning for housing development added to providing appropriate house, must heed the principle ecological components. So in order to achieve such program, we have to well understand dimensions and level of affecting factors on housing and its applicant and level of their demands. Because of current situation in each society, housing needs are different and vary greatly based on persona characteristics, social status, ideological conditions, and secio-economic status. Therefore housing status varies regarded to physical situation of each environment, technical and economic facilities. These changes must be identified and attended. Research method regarded to our purpose was analytic-descriptive, and quantitative (statistic) methods were used for analyzing field data. Gathering information was conducted by use of questionnaires. Question were asked in two ways, some of them were asked in form of three-spectral likert scale (appropriate, relatively appropriate, inappropriate) and the others were asked with “Yes” or “No” answers. For analyzing with descriptive statistic methods, like centrality indices such as frequency and percent by help of SPSS software, were used. Statistical society is the rural population in Mazandaran Province. 31 villages (coastal: 7, foothill: 12, mountainous: 12) were selected. Total population of the selected village was 4377. The sample size is determined 465 by Cochran formula. Based on results the observed changes in the studied rural houses have two aspects:Firstly, the changes in economic function of the house which include a space for livestock, forage, a place of baking bread, storing fossil fuels (oil and est.) and parking. In the past rural houses were completely appropriate to family economic and in designing house required spaces for each economic activity were considered. Given that in the past, the economic activities of most villages in Mazandaran were depended on farming and animal husbandry, the required spaces for storing crops and maintenance of agricultural tools as well as sustenance of livestock like barn and stable were embedded. But today with diminishing agriculture and mechanizing agricultural processes, farmers need less dedicated spaces especial for farming. In on the other hand under influence of inappropriate decisions of policy-makers, livestock has removed from rural family economic. As a result, need to economic spaces has decreased.
Second, is the changing social function of the house which includes a separated kitchen, an open kitchen, bedrooms, a separated reception room and porch (a partition between indoor and outdoor. In the past there was a particular space for baking in a rural house that located in outdoor. It was because of two reasons: first because of lacking oil and gas, villagers used firewood for baking so resulted smokes were kept away from inhabitants. Second reason was preventing emission of food smell. But today thanks to gas and eliminating previous limitations (air conditioning), the kitchen has transferred to indoor. Today under influence of urban culture affected by western housing pattern, the open kitchens has replaced the old kitchens which are irrelevant to Iranian culture especially Mazandaran village. In the past because of financial problems of building a house and old rural traditions, number of bedroom were limited, but today because of economic improvement of rural families and changing attitudes of parents and children based on having separated a personal space, villagers has built more bedrooms. The quantitative (statistic) methods were used for analyzing field data. In this study, gathering information conducted by use of questionnaires. The statistic society was rural population in Mazandaran Province that was classified in three types include coastal (plains), foothills, and mountainous populations. By use of Cochran’ formula, the sample size is determined 465. Based on the results in the studied rural houses has changed caused by changing economic and social circumstances in villages that include change the dedicated space for livestock, forage, place of baking bread, storing fossil fuels (oil and est.), parking, a separated kitchen, open kitchen, separated bed rooms, a reception room and porch (a partition between indoor and outdoor). These changes are consequences of skeletal and services development and affected by urban culture in villages and finally have changed the economic and social function of rural housing.
It can be stated that some changes are happened in the studied village resulted from changing economic and social conditions in villages which include change in dedicated space for livestock, forage, place of baking bread, storing of fossil fuels (oil and est.), separated kitchen& bedroom, open kitchen, separated reception room and porch.These changes are consequences of skeletal and service development in villages and also the influence of urban culture in villages which finally resulted in changing economic and social function of the the rural houses.