The Relationship between Social and Semantic Bonds with the Sense of Place-identity in Residential Neighborhoods (Case Study: Sepah Neighborhood of Qazvin)

Sense of place-identity as an infrastructure of individual identity, plays an important role in the cognitive relationship between man and his place of residence. Therefore, improving residents’ place-identity in residential neighborhoods improves the quality of residence, also enriches individual personality. However, the social and semantic bonds have a significant role in the formation of place-identity. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between social and semantic bonds of residents with a sense of place-identity in residential neighborhoods.

The method is correlation and modeling. The statistical population consisted of residents of the Sepah neighborhood of Qazvin in the winter of 2021.The sample was 280 residents of the Sepah neighborhood selected by cluster random sampling and a researcher-made questionnaire was distributed among them. After confirming its reliability by calculating Cronbach's alpha and its validity through exploratory factor analysis, the experimental model was obtained through path analysis.

The results showed that place-identity dimensions in Sepah contain identification, environmental fit and alienation. Among the social and semantic bonds, social-cultural adaptation including neighborhood relationships, compatibility with customs and lifestyle adaption has the greatest direct effect on the environmental fit in place-identity formation (P<0/01).

According to the results, place-identity in Sepah is often due to the common sense that has been formed among residents through membership in a social category; therefore, to improve the sense of place-identity, it is necessary to consider socio-cultural adaptation variables.