Dwellings : values, symbols and dreams

Abstract

This dissertation analyses the relationship between human values, symbols and dreams as reflected in dwellings: those values which characterize a particular life-style determine the type of symbols which crystallize the dreams generated by the same life-style. To demonstrate how dwellings reflect the values of their occupants a set of case studies was analyzed choosing different house types (flat, villa, terraced house) and different stages in life (a young married couple, a middle-aged couple, an elderly person). These were carried out using the participant observation method (the researcher assumes a participant-as-observer role) . The topics discussed in all the case studies include activities, childhood memories, furniture and other objects, privacy, territoriality, likes and dislikes, and future aspirations. The values which emerged from the discussion of these topics were tabulated, revealing the different priority scale of values for each case. All the full case study reports can be found in the appendix, while a summary of their results and the list of reflected values (supplemented by examples) constitute Part 1. In Part 2 the relationship between values and dwellings is discussed in more detail including individual values, common household values (Ch. 3) and cultural values (Ch. 4). The latter were explained by using the concept of life-style which itself was conceptualized as a series of choices limited by constraints (Ch.5). This process of choice inevitably leads to the co-existence of continuity and change in home environments as described in Chapter 6. Finally the last two chapters deal with the symbolic properties of dwellings. Chapter 7 considers the dwelling as a symbol of group and individual identity while Chapter 8 explains how dwellings can crystallize people's dreams and aspirations.