An Analysis of the Effectiveness of the Consumerism on the Transformation of the Interior Architecture of Contemporary Iranian Housing

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

1 Assistant Professor of Architecture, Faculty of Art, Arak University, Iran.

2 Associate Professor of Architecture, Faculty of Engineering, University of Qom , Iran.

Abstract

Problem statement: Due to its interdisciplinary nature, architecture can both influence and be influenced by many other disciplines, of which the economy is one of the most important. Capitalism, which has been the dominant economic system in the West during the recent century, has led to the emergence of various issues in the area of architecture, not only in western countries but also in many other countries such as Iran. One of these issues is the emergence of consumerism and the subsequent transformation in the formation of residential space in Iran, especially the kitchen, and, subsequently, the change in the type of relationship between the kitchen and other spaces in the house. In this regard, the main question is how Western consumerism led to the transformation and development of the Iranian lifestyle and the interior architecture of their residential spaces.
Research objective: The present study aims to analyze the architectural developments of the Iranian residential spaces and find the causes of these developments regarding the transformations made in people’s lifestyles derived from the emergence of consumerism in the contemporary era.
Research method: The library method was used for data collection and qualitative content analysis was used for the data analysis.
Conclusion: Based on the findings, two important measures that led to the emergence of consumerism in the interior space of Iranian housing in the Pahlavi Era were first, the establishment of the “television station” and the broadcast of American advertisements and programs and second, the establishment of the “home economics department” to increase the effectiveness on the lifestyle of the Iranian women and girls as the most effective group in the Iranian society’s lifestyle. Both of the above actions were done with the foreigners’ plots, evidence of which has been provided in the present study.

Keywords

References

Amin, C. M. (2004). Importing Beauty Culture into Iran in the 1920s and 1930s: Mass Marketing Individualism in an Age of Anti-Imperialist Sacrifice. Comparative Studies of South Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, 24 (1), 81-100.
Ansari, H. (2017). An Analysis of Contemporary Iranian Architecture. Tehran: Sabzan.
Avery, P. et al. (Eds.). (2007). The Cambridge History of Iran. V. 7: From Nadir Shah to the Islamic Republic. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Avini, S. M. (1999). Development and foundations of Western civilization. Tehran: Saghi publishing house.
Baudrillard, J. (2011). Consumer society: myths and structures(P. Izadi, Trans.). Tehran: Sales publication. [in Persian]
Cooper, Ch. A. & Nownes, A. J. (2004). Money Well Spent? An Experimental Investigation of the Effects of Advertorials on Citizen Opinion. American Politics Research, 32 (5), 546-569.
Freeman, J. (2004). The Making of the Modern Kitchen. Oxford, and New York: Berg.
Garbe, P. M. (1989). Tulipmania. The Journal of Political Economy, 97 (3), 535-560.
Haji Qasemi, K. (Ed.) (2016). Ganjnameh: Collection of Islamic Architectural Works of Iran, fourth book: houses of Isfahan. Tehran: Shahid Beheshti University.
Hakim, N. (2001). Tahavol-e Memari-ye Maskouni-ye Iran dar Dahe-ye Aval-e Gharn [The evolution of Iran’s residential architecture in the first decades of the century]. Memar, (8), 65-68.
Interior Decorations. (1946). Architect Magazine, (1), 29.
Iman, M. T.  & Noshadi, M. R. (2012). Qualitative content analysis. Ayar Journal of Research in Human Sciences, (6), 15-44.
Isenstadt, S. & Kishwar R. (2008). Modernism and the Middle East: Architecture and Politics in the Twentieth Century. Seattle and London: University of Washington Press. 
Kitchen and dining room. (1948). Architect Magazine, l (6), 208-204.
Karimi, P. (2009). Transitions in Domestic Architecture and Home Culture in Twentieth Century Iran (Unpublished Ph.D. Thesis in Architecture). Massachusetts Instutute of Technology, USA.
Karimi, P. (2013). Domesticity and Consumer Culture in Iran, New York: Routledge.
Kiakojuri, Kh. (1973). Characteristics of houses and neighborhoods in 9 locations of Tehran. Tehran: Ministry of Development and Housing, Office of Construction Studies and Standards.
Kiani, M. (2001). Pahlavi I era’s architecture: the transformation of the Thoughts and Emergence of Architecture in the Contemporary 20-year period (1921-1941). Tehran: Institute of Contemporary History of Iran.
Massey, A. (2006). Interior Design since 1900. NewYork: Thames & Hudson.
Marefat, M. (1988). Building to Power: Arhitecture of Tehran 1921-1941 (Unpublished Ph.D. Thsis in Architecture). Massachusetts Instutute of Technology, USA.
Moazzami, M. (2017). Interaction of Culture and Architecture: Explanation of cultural components affecting the architecture of Iran in the contemporary period (Unpublished Ph.D. Thesis in Architecture). University of Tehran, Iran.
Moshir, A. (1960). Some suggestions to solve a puzzle!. Ettela’at-e Banuvan, (148).
Moshir, A. (1961). How to arrange the children’s room? Ettela’at-e Banuvan, (160).
Negahi, M. (2017). The beginning of a big social gap. Shahrvand Newspaper,  (1060).
Qodsikia. (1949). Our house and their house.... Ettela’at-e Haftegi, (411).
Raisi, M. M. (2021). Analyzing Effects of Liberal Capitalist Economy on Collapse of Islamic Lifestyle in Contemporary Iranian Architecture and Urbanism.. Culture Strategy, (54), 73-101.
Riesman, D., Glazer, N. & Reuel, D. (1969). The Lonely Crowd: A study of the changing American character. New Haven & London: Yale University Press.
Shah Qasemi, E. & Masoumi, H. (2015). Advertising with a mask of reporting: Advertising Reportage in Iran, Journal of Communication and Culture. Cultural and Communication Studies, (34), 143-160.
Smith, M. G. (1993). A Conception of Global Education: A Home Economics Education Imperative. Canadian Home Economics Journal, 43 (1), 21-26.
Stage, S. (1997). Home Economics: What’s in the Name?. In S. Stage & B. V. Virginia (Eds.), Rethinking Home Economics: Women and the History of a Profession. New York: Cornell University Press.
Stearns, P. N. (2006). Consumerism in world history: the global transformation of desire. New York: Routledge.
The Monthly Scientific Journal of Bagh-e Nazar
Volume 20, Issue 126
December 2023
Pages 5-16

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics