Analysis of Economic Indicators Affecting Function Transformation of Rural Housing (Case Study: GhaniBeigloo County, Zanjan Township)

Housing which is influenced by natural and human factors considered as the main factor contributing rural texture. Therefore, any types of transformation in natural and human circumstances will appear in housing as well. Nowadays, incompatibility among physical transformation and socio-cultural attitude in rural areas, culminates in Socio-economic disparities and change in the functioning of these living spaces, especially rural housing. During recent years the studied villages encountered transformation of function of housing and formation of novel function of housing. This transformation resulted by various economic factors. Now following questions will be raised: 1- What is the status of housing functions within the scope of the study?                                           2- Which economic indicators have influenced the transformation of functioning in rural housing? This study is applied research and the approach is descriptive- analytical. Data collection is through secondary data, questionnaires and interviews.  Statistical population consists of households of GhaniBeigloo county and lower Zanjan river district of Zanjan Province. According to 2011 census, there are 31 inhabited villages, 2358 households and 8413 of people in this county. Based on Cochran formula, we applied 330 out of 2358 households as a sample to fill the questionnaire. In order to study the functions of rural housing, 43 indices have been utilized in five dimensions of livelihood, logistical, economic, social, and women. Moreover, in order to examine the effective economic indicators of rural housing, 14 indices has been used as Likert scale. The descriptive findings obtained from the review of the individual characteristics of respondents demonstrate that, 96.4% of the respondents are male and 3.6% are female. The age group range mostly from 30 to 40 years old. The maximum frequency percentage of literacy level belong to elementary school with 40.6%.  . The maximum frequency percentage of household's head occupation belong to agricultural and horticultural jobs with 37.5%.  The monthly income mean of households is 748,000 Tomans. The maximum frequency percentage for sizes of houses, land area and building area are respectively, 200-150 meters, 100-50 meters and 150-100 meters. 31.3% of respondents constructed their properties with a loan. The descriptive results of the study show that, the highest mean of housing function is related to women's function with an average of 2.62 and the minimum average is the housing logistic index with an average of 1.46.  By analyzing numerical mean derived from rural housing function of studied village, it can be illustrated that, rural housing function is below optimum point. Based on sample T-Test and Likert scale with range of 1-5, the fluctuated amount for whole housing function is less than average (3). This difference is significant at 0.01 alpha level and difference compered to optimum is shown as negative number.  Also, the inferential results demonstrate that the economic indices of housing, vehicle, number of livestock, garden ownership, annals of credit allocation, type of occupation and income, and the income received from the non-agricultural sector, have a significant and meaningful effect on the changes in the function of rural housing.  By increasing the so-called urban tendency into rural environments, some of the structural components of the functions of rural houses have been transformed fundamentally. By moving away indigenous patterns and acquiring new patterns, the heterogeneity of housing patterns with living and livelihood needs, and increasing the use of instrument technology, not only the physical structure but also setting and design of rural houses is influenced. Such changes can be checked in interior design, appliance and layout of houses.  According to the results of the "Analysis of the economic factors affecting rural housing function transformations" the following suggestions has been offered: 1. attention to livelihood, production, crafts, etc. in the form of rural housing 2. Separation of rural and urban housing policy implementation model for rural housing 3. Construction of new housing due to geographical and environmental characteristics of each area 4. Using local area experiences in rural housing