The dialectic dimensions of homes as an expression of identity and communality in Amman, Jordan

Abstract

This paper presents a conceptual framework for analysing socio‐psychological features of homes and home territories. Homes from the urban culture of Amman, the capital of Jordan, are described in terms of two dialectic dimensions: (1) identity/communality, that is, the degree to which homes display the uniqueness or distinctiveness of people from one another and also the degree to which they display the bonds between residents and their community and culture; (2) openness/closedness, that is, the degree to which homes portray how residents are open and accessible and also how they are closed and out of contact with others. The fabricated environment, according to this research, is a means by which the prevailing socio‐cultural system is maintained. At the same time, it is acknowledged that important reciprocal relationships exist between the fabricated environment, individuals, and society.