Women’s Experience of Urban Public Spaces: A Case Study of Kermanshah City

With the idea that the experience of the city is like a dream that must be followed in waking life, the wanderer inevitably examines the corners and secrets of the city that are outside the usual field of vision. This brings more complexity to women's experience of wandering; Especially where the city is perceived as a space where a woman tries to learn and try a sense of self-expression through wandering. In this research, an attempt has been made to analyze the experience of roaming in the city of Kermanshah by relying on the opinions of Walter Benjamin. Thus, the main question of the present research is to what extent women's experience of being in the urban spaces of Kermanshah can make it possible for them to implement a form of self-expression and self-realization? Collaborative observation techniques and interview methods were used to collect data, and the data were extracted until they reached the degree of theoretical saturation. According to the findings of this research, the wandering of women in Kermanshah for reasons such as the majority of women being trapped in meeting their daily needs and unequal access to urban spaces is an unfinished experience, and despite the creation of limited forms of subjectivity, there is not much room for self-expression and implementation of forms of individuality. It does not leave their vote as desired.

Introduction

We have often seen that, in the ordinary course of life, behaviors and actions are formed either by disruptions in daily routine or by factors such as curiosity or leisure time. Perhaps "talking" can be included in this category of daily life. Various thinkers have discussed this behavioral pattern, which has become a new culture and identity, or a way of "being in the world". Several arguments have been presented by different thinkers. Walter Benjamin, as one of the theorists in this field, draws attention to the cultural context of modernity that led to the emergence of the phenomenon of vagrancy and believes that the attempt to understand vagrancy can act as a guiding tool for understanding "modern urban culture." But the experience of wandering for women in Iranian society, and specifically in the city of Kermanshah, is more worthy of reflection. The question of the present study is to what extent women's experience of being present in urban spaces of Kermanshah enables them to implement a form of self-expression and self-realization in the form of wandering

Theoretical Framework

To address women's experience of the city, a conceptual framework is needed so that the question of this study can be understood under it. Considering the relevance of Walter Benjamin's discussions about wandering to the present research, we preferred to use Benjamin's concepts. Benjamin's main words used in this work are: death, poverty of experience, memory, narrative, modernity, and city. In Benjamin's narration, as soon as we come across an experience - whether this experience is related to the normal routines of daily life or to its emergencies - several issues appear in front of us. The first issue relates to the place of experience in the modern era; It means a situation in which it is not possible to own an experience that has passed, nor when an experience is acquired, is it possible to pass it. Therefore, it seems that in the modern era, we are facing both the poverty of experience and the poverty of expressing this poverty.

Methodology

The statistical population of the present study is women who have a great interest in the street and urban space, who were selected according to the regional context and place of residence. To put it more clearly, in this research, observation (participatory) and interview techniques were used to collect data, and with the snowball method, people who had the experience of wandering in the city were referred to and helped us in introducing people with similar experiences. In this research, the qualitative method of ethnography was used, and the tools of interview and participatory observation were used to collect data. The statistical sample is the women of Kermanshah city, 20 of whom were interviewed in depth during a month. After collecting the data, the work of implementing and organizing the interviews was done. Then the urban ethnographic method was used to analyze the data.

Results & Discussion

In this view, a wanderer in Kermanshah considers the condition of knowing some layers of the city dependent on using his sense of smell; So much so that if he closes his eyes, he imagines an environment like an Islamic bazaar with the smell of spices, cosmetics, cloves, and its alleys and shops in his mind, and he can even walk through it with his eyes closed. This focus of attention on said experiences is often memorable feelings; For example, the smell of iron, which seems annoying to many people, is full of memories in the old blacksmiths' alley; Even if he doesn't intend to buy, he likes to touch the fabrics when he passes through the darkness of the market; Sometimes he likes to draw his hand on the carpets of Juanshir Crossroads. Therefore, in order to associate it and satisfy his curiosity and interest, he has to step into those shops and experience it, and based on this simultaneity, he likes the present and the past. Therefore, the wanderer steps out of the house to remember those memories and knows which streets he will touch with his whole being if he passes.

Conclusions & Suggestions

Acquiring experience is never complete based on what one hears, even if a person uses his intellect and intelligence completely for everything he sees and hears, because a person's experience is obtained through his freedom in acquiring it. The wanderer is sometimes looking for a change in the direction of expanding the scope of possibilities, and from this point of view, the important reason why the street can attract women is the sense of liberation, freedom, and independence. Therefore, wandering is the dream of women in everyday experience, which may not be easily realized or may gradually become a reality. All in all, the city and the space in which the possibility of experimenting is little or accompanied by fundamental limitations, delays the matter of liberation.
Ethical Considerations
Not applicable
Funding
Not applicable
Conflict of interest
The authors declare no conflict of interest