The Impact of Changes in Rural Housing Patterns on the Functioning of Rural Women(Case Study Villages Lorestan Province)

The architecture of rural housing in Iran presents a place with identity and responsiveness to the necessities of rural life and livelihoods. Aside from providing a place to live, rural housing accommodates a part of livelihood and economic activities of people. In recent years, rural housing has gone through drastic changes. While the role and performance of rural women is influenced by housing patterns and layouts, changes to, or elimination of, some of the elements of rural housing have affected women. In order to investigate the impacts of changing housing patterns on women’s role and performance, we used a questionnaire with 102 questions based on Likert scale. The paper relies on document review and field study (questionnaire).
The study population was 169,875 households and 420 households were selected in sample villages in Lorestan to complete the questionnaires. Data processing was conducted using SPSS software and Mann-Whitney U test, Friedman, Kendall, correlation and path analysis. The results of this study indicate that the changes in the pattern of rural housing to comply with urban life and housing have led to a change in the elements and spaces of rural housing. These changes destroyed some spaces which were necessary for a number of activities and functions. These changes have limited the activities for rural women. As it is mentioned in various studies, women are the main force for change and potential resource for holistic and sustainable development of villages. But in many cases, changing livelihoods in rural areas, villages and rural fabric and spatial pattern of rural housing have affected women. The goal of providing women with an opportunity to active participation in the context of sustainable development of rural areas requires some innovations which will benefit their families and communities as well.