A study of change in the lifestyle of urban women in Tonekabon city in Iran

Abstract

According to Noah Webster, (1963) “Change” means to be altered; to become different; to undergo variation; to be partially or wholly transformed; as, men sometimes change for the better. Anjali Kurane (2002) says that in this process there is transformation in sociocultural values, socio-cultural behaviors, traditional thought pattern and attitude, worldview, style of life. Spread of education participation in the politics, political independence, industrialization, urbanization, development and spreading of banking organization, rapid development in transformation and communication, and so on have brought and necessitated the transformations among men and his social relationship and society. Johanne Charbonneau, Madeleine Gauthier, (2002:349) said that “A ‘lifestyle’ is something located at a junction between ‘styles of living’and ‘living conditions’. But whereas styles of living are determined through personal choices and tastes, and point up the freedom to take decisions affecting one’s daily life, living conditions may be seen more as boundaries, marking out the limits of such freedom”. “Lifestyle” is a collection of interpretations, values, behaviours, modes and different tastes in different subjects from music to art and TV, and to the style of gardening, decoration, furniture. T.V., newspaper, internet, magazine and so on gives us the new image of lifestyle, so media is very important today. The process of modernization affects the lifestyle. Tim Woods (2001) says that modernization as a process also affects the way a society thinks, its attitudes, beliefs, food, dress habits, and cultural patterns at the level of individuals, and as the individuals can be seen as units of the society, through them society at large is also affected. Leisure time activities, socio-economic life, educational life and political activities, attitude toward vital characteristics of women, attitude toward religious activities, customs and beliefs in the ceremonies are the most important factors of studying the change in lifestyle.