Courtyard housing : a comparative study

Sadighjamali, Saeedeh (2012) Courtyard housing : a comparative study. Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

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Abstract

This thesis adopts a multi-dimensional ethnographic perspective to examine courtyard houses, a particular house type from Tabriz, Iran. My research investigates the interplay between spatial contexts and socio-cultural performances in this built environment. In particular, my thesis addresses two major cultural issues in relation to this architectural form. First, the research investigates the interrelation between architecture and belief. Examining the spaces and their functions in the house, I explore how aspects of Iranians' everyday lives are affected by the practice of Islam and how this influence is reflected in the spatial organization of houses and in the performances of residents within their houses. Second, and the most significant aspect of my research is to investigate the interplay between spatial arrangement and gendered experiences. Gender roles and relations are constructed, experienced and controlled within the spatial context of a dwelling. My research consequently aims to investigate the role of domestic architecture in articulating gendered relations. The courtyard house contributes to the confinement of women and their relegation to the domestic sphere. However, women do not always conform to the enforced gender roles and relations. My thesis shows how by controlling and mediating interior space, women resist and subvert the existing gender norms--though in a limited way.

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