Socio-Cultural Meaning of Kitchen in Religious Context of Iran (Case Study: City of Qom)

محورهای موضوعی : Urban Design

Masoud Nari Ghomi ¹ ( Ph.D., School of Architecture, Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Tehran, Iran )

تاریخ دریافت : 1393/02/10 تاریخ پذیرش : 1393/06/17 تاریخ انتشار : 1393/09/10

کلید واژه: Kitchen, Family Space, Female Space, Islamic–Iranian Culture, Sacred Space,

چکیده مقاله :

Introduction of modern architecture in Iran and its popularization in 1950s and after, brought some new concepts in everyday life of Iranian women, among which was “kitchen as heart of home-life”. Younger members of current generation are grown in these modernized spaces while a bit older ones have experienced houses of traditional style. This study is designed to explore what previous concept of kitchen was and what its effects were on current housewives imagination of it. Religious social context of city of Qom was selected as a good representative of more religious majority of social context of Iran. It was found that three ranges of meanings should be considered to explain socio-cultural concept of kitchen in Iranian Muslim women’s life: from personal space of special privacy (for females) to a living family space, from a utility space to a place of genuine life and from a sacred place to a profane one that has clear implications in Iranian Muslim women. It can be said that now ideal picture of a kitchen in this cultural context is a female personal space and at the same time it is a temporary private family space but not of collective living quality.

منابع و مأخذ:

1. Ahari, Z., Arjmandnia, A., Habibi, M., & Khosro Khavar, F. (1988). The minimum dwelling. Tehran: Center of construction and Housing research of Iran.


2. Amor, C. M. (2006). Arab-American Muslims’ Home Interiors in the US: Meanings, Uses and Communication. Journal of Interior Design 32(1), 1-16.


3. Bell, G., & Kaye, J. (2002). Designing Technology for Domestic Spaces: A Kitchen Manifesto. Gastronomica: The Journal of Food and Culture, 2(2), 46-62.


4. Coliver Rice, C. (1987).  Iranian Women and their lifestyle. (A. Azad, Trans.). Mash’had: Cultural assistance of Astan Ghods Razavi.


5. Cooper Marcus, C. (2000). House as a Mirror of Self.. (A. Arbab Jolfaii, Trans.). Esfahan: Nashr-e Khak.


6. Einifar, A. (2003). A model for analyzing flexibility in traditional houses of Iran. Fine Arts, 13(13), 64-77.


7. El-Rafey, & Moshira A. R. (1992). Housing & Women: Reconstruction of Women’s Point of View. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. University of Michigan Michigan.


8. Fathi, H. (2003). Architecture for the poor ( A. Ashrafi, Trans.)Tehran: University of Honar.


9. Fattal Neishaboori, M. (1987). Paradise of spiritual advisors. (Mahdavi Damghani, Trans.). Tehran: Nashr Nei. (Original published 11-12 century A.D)


10. Freeman, J. (2004). The making of the modern kitchen: A cultural history. Newyork: Berg Publishers.


11. Friedan, B. (2000). Excerpts from ‘The Problem that Has No Name’ In J. Rendell, B. Penner & I. Borden(Ed.) Gender space architecture: an interdisciplinary introduction. (pp.33-44). London: Routledge.


12. Ghafur, S. (2002). Gender implications of space use in home-based work: evidences from slums in Bangladesh. Habitat International . 26 (2002), 33–50.


13. Goffman, E. (1959). The presentation of Self in Everyday Life. New York: Doubleday Anchor Books.


14. Hadjiyanni, T. (2007). Bounded Choices: Somali Women Constructing Difference in Minnesota Housing. Journal of Interior Design. 32(2), 13-27


15. Haeri, M. (2009). Home, Culture, Nature. Tehran: Center of Urban and Architectural Study and Research.


16. Hakimi, M. R., Hakimi M., & Hakimi A. (1984). The Life. (A. Aram, Trans.). (M. Hakimi Ed.). Tehran: Office for Releasing Islamic Culture.


17. Hodjat, I. (2011). PracticingAarchitecture. Tehran: University of Tehran.


18. Jabal Ameli, A. (1995). Contemporary Houses of Isfahan. In B. Aiatollahzade Shirazi (Ed). Proceeding of First Conference on History of Architecture and Urban Design of Iran. February 26 - March 3. (Vol.4, pp.99-136). Tehran: National Organization of Cultural Heritage.


19. Kerr, R. (2007). The gentleman's house (or, how to plan English residences) In. Barbara M.Lane(Ed.) Housing and Dwelling:Perspectives on Modern Domestic Architecture. London: Routledge.


20. Madanipour, A. (2008). Urban public and private spaces. (F.arshad Noorian,Trans.).Tehran: Urban Process and Planning Co.


21. Mahmoody, M. R. (2012). Globalization Issues Regarding Contemporary Architecture of Iran. International Journal of Architecture and Urban Development, 1(2), 51-54.


22. Malekshahmirzadi, S. (1995). The role of socio-cultural factors in formation of dwelling of Iran: prehistory village of Zaghe. In B. Aiatollahzade Shirazi (Ed). Proceeding of First Conference on History of Architecture and Urban Design of Iran. February 26 - March 3. (Vol.1, pp.13-25). Tehran: National Organization of Cultural Heritage. Tehran: National Organization of Cultural Heritage.


23. Mazumdar, S., & Mazumdar, S. (1999). ‘Women's significant spaces’: Religion, space, and community. Journal of environmental psychology, 19(2), 159-170.


24. Nickles, S. (2002). More is better: Mass consumption, gender, and class identity in postwar America. American Quarterly, 54(4), 581-622.


25. Pirnia, M. K. (2008). Iranian architecture. Me’marian, Gh. (Ed.). Tehran: Soroosh Danesh.


26. Reiger, K. (1987). All but the kitchen sink. Theory and Society, 16(4), 497-526.


27.  Shahri, J. (1992 a). The old Tehran. (Vol.3, 4^th Ed.). Tehran: Mo’in.


28. Shahri, J. (1992b). The old Tehran. (Vol.4, 2^nd Ed.). Tehran: Mo’in.


29. Sheikh Sadoogh, M. (1988). Juridical words for ones who do not reach to juried. (A.Akbar Ghaffari Trans.). Tehran: Nashr Sadoogh.


30. Snodgrass, M.E. (2004). Encyclopedia of kitchen history. New York: Taylor & Francis Books.


31. Tabaeian, S. M., & Einifar, A. (2012). A Study of the Perspectives of Architecturale and Environmental Psychology (Theoreticians and Psychologists). International Journal of Architecture and Urban Development, 1(1), 27-32.


32. Vahaji, S., & Hadjiyanni, T. (2009). The spatiality of veiling-Muslim women living practices in Minnesota homes. Archnet-IJAR: International Journal of Architectural Research, 3(2), 35-50.


33. Weisman, L. K. (2000). Women’s Environmental Rights: A Manifesto. In Rendell, B. Penner & I. Borden(Ed.). J. Gender space architecture: an interdisciplinary introduction. (pp.1-5). London: Routledge.


34. Woolley, T. (1994). Innovative housing in the UK and Europe. In R. Gilroy & R. Woods Housing Women (Ed.).London: Routledge.