The Influence of Lifestyle Transformations on Rural Housing Patterns: Evidence from Fuman County Villages

Introduction
Rural housing, serving as a fundamental human need for shelter, has undergone significant transformations in rural areas over time, evolving in harmony with socioeconomic shifts, and the expansion of facilities and technology. These changes in the form, design, materials, and construction knowledge of houses have resulted in contemporary rural homes diverging considerably from traditional and local patterns, often resembling urban housing styles more than their rural predecessors. Today, many villages have embraced aspects of modernity and new technologies. This embrace signifies a fundamental change in rural consumption and lifestyle patterns. In essence, the consumption patterns and lifestyles of rural communities no longer fully align with the traditional characteristics of villages. This is largely because the growth and expansion of technology have not only facilitated villagers' access to new services but have also paved the way for the transfer of urban consumption patterns to rural communities through the development of information and communication technology. Lifestyle encompasses behaviors and activities throughout life that influence the general habits and conduct of individuals and societies. Various changes across economic, cultural, social, and environmental spheres concurrently alter lifestyles. These lifestyle shifts are tangibly observed in social interactions, economic livelihoods, rural culture, the utilization of natural resources, and the physical fabric of villages. One of the most significant effects of these changes is the transformation in rural housing patterns, representing a foundational aspect of this evolution. This is because rural house construction is highly dependent on its specific context. Climatic conditions, spatial function, natural environmental features, dominant traditions, cultural principles, and the religious foundations of settlement, along with the shape and type of social relations, all exert influence on the physical form of rural houses.
 
Methodology
This research is applied in its purpose and descriptive-analytical in its nature and implementation method. Data collection was performed using both documentary and field survey methods. The research's statistical population comprised villages in Fuman County with more than 20 households. The sample size was calculated using Cochran's formula, with a 95% confidence level and a 0.05 margin of error, resulting in 375 household heads selected as the sample. These participants were distributed across 12 villages, representing three settlement types: plains, piedmonts, and foothills, where questionnaires were completed. Data analysis involved both descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (Pearson correlation coefficient, Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, and analysis of variance). In this study, changes in villagers' lifestyles are treated as the independent variable, and changes in rural housing patterns are considered the dependent variable.
 
Findings
During the transition from tradition to modernity, housing in Iranian villages has undergone numerous architectural, structural, and functional changes. These transformations, influenced by shifts in the social and cultural characteristics of rural areas, have impacted all aspects of the residential system, particularly the design patterns of rural houses. Houses constructed in rural areas in recent years clearly reflect the evolving lifestyles of villagers, evident in both their appearance, architectural style, and their intrinsic nature and function. The findings showed that changes in the lifestyle of villagers in Fuman County have significantly affected the rural housing patterns in this area, with these changes being evident across all aspects of newly built rural houses within the county. In recent years, villagers' lifestyles have experienced considerable shifts due to the introduction of technology, increased urban-rural interactions, and the expansion of tourism activities in rural areas. These shifts have, in turn, impacted the physical fabric of villages, most notably rural housing patterns. Furthermore, the findings indicated that among the components of lifestyle, the "values and beliefs" index had the highest average score (3.08), while the "nutrition style" index had the lowest average (2.78). Within the housing pattern components, the "physical" index scored the highest average (3.20), and the "environmental" index scored the lowest (2.87). The results of the Pearson correlation coefficient test, conducted to determine the relationship between lifestyle variables and housing patterns in the sample villages, revealed a significant correlation. Specifically, in the villages of Khoshke Nodhan Bala, Khasmakh, Kordamahle, Gasht, and Rudpish (which are dry villages), there is a significant relationship between villagers' lifestyle variables and rural housing patterns, with a confidence level of 95% and an error of 0.05 (Sig = 0.000, which is less than the calculated error). In other words, lifestyle changes in these villages have demonstrably influenced rural housing patterns.
 
Discussion and Conclusion
The results obtained from the Pearson correlation coefficient test demonstrate a statistically significant relationship between changes in villagers' lifestyles and the pattern of rural housing in Fuman County, with a coefficient of 0.519 (Sig = 0.000) at a 95% confidence level and an error of 0.05. This indicates that as the lifestyle of rural households becomes more urbanized, the adoption of new housing models increases. Furthermore, a multivariate regression model was employed to investigate the impact of villagers' lifestyle changes on rural housing patterns in Fuman County. The coefficient of determination (R-squared) was 0.784, indicating that the linear regression model of independent variables justifies approximately 79% of the total variance in the dependent variable. The ANOVA table reported the degrees of freedom, mean square, Fisher's statistic, and a significance level of 0.000 for the regression. Since this significance level is less than 0.05, the null hypothesis, which posits the non-significance of the regression model, is rejected with 99% confidence. Therefore, the regression model is statistically significant. In essence, changes in villagers' lifestyles profoundly influence rural housing patterns. In line with these lifestyle shifts, the nature and function of rural housing have undergone noticeable transformations. This is particularly evident in new constructions within the studied villages. This transformation occurs because, consciously or unconsciously, villagers' lifestyles are evolving due to the introduction of technology and the use of media. The houses constructed in the villages of Fuman over the last decade strikingly reflect these ongoing changes.