ISSN: 2717-4417

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Sociology, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, university of Kharazmi, Tehran, Iran

2 Assistant Professor

10.34785/J011.2019.730

Abstract

Parks are regarded as constituting one of the most important spaces in Tehran, Iran. One of the oldest, largest parks in the city, Sorkhe-Hesar Forest Park, located at busy urban nodes, has unique functions. Optimal use of the space is possible when users feel secure therein. Although known as an extra-regional park,it is visited mainly by residents of Municipal District 13 of Tehran. This can be accounted for by several factors, a major one being perception of security in the park among citizens. Due to the large area of the park and its partitioning, there cannot be a discussion of a single perception of security in the park. Furthermore, security is a multi-dimensional notion, where each of the dimensions may be perceived differently in different partitions of the park. Accordingly, the main purpose of the research is to investigate the perceptions of different aspects of security by visitors to different partitions of Sorkhe-Hesar Forest Park and to examine if there are significant differences between them. The park has been divided by the municipality into six partitions, including Khorgasht (‘picnic’), Eghamat-Entezar-Tafrih (‘stay-wait-fun’), Piyaderavi-Honarhaye Mohiti (‘walk-environmental arts’), Aramesh (‘peace’), Tafrihate Fa'al (‘amusement), and Tabiatgardi-Hefazat (‘ecotourism-conservation’).  Due to the presence of wildlife and passage of animal species, the ecotourism-conservation partition has turned into a protected area in which tourists are not allowed. Therefore, the partition is excluded from the spatial domain of the study. This is a quantitative survey with a researcher-made questionnaire used as tool. The research population includes all the women and men aged 18 years or more visiting the five included partitions of Sorkhe-Hesar Park during the survey. Given the spatial domain under investigation, there was space and time sampling in addition to visitor sampling. The findings obtained from the 504 visitors in the sample were analyzed using SPSS and GIS. The six aspects of security perception in the above five partitions of Sorkhe-Hesar Park were found reliable, and there were significant differences between perceptions of financial, dignity, public property, and public order security in the partitions. The overall perception of security of the visitors was obtained through addition of their scores in the six aspects. The findings from the overall perceptions of security in the different partitions of the park demonstrated that the highest and lowest means concerned the stay-wait-fun and walk-environmental arts partitions, respectively. The differences between the overall perceptions of security in the different partitions were statistically significant. That is, citizens’ perception of security in the different partitions of Sorkhe-Hesar Park can explain their decisions to visit or not visit them to a great extent. The  perception of security in the different partitions of the park can be enhanced through use of citizens as a contributing factor, establishment of more security posts and police and municipality patrols, use of CCTV, establishment of weekend markets, construction and development of educational and cultural centers such as mosques and libraries and presentation of courses in various fields, enhancement of cellular coverage, equipment of less crowded passages with proper lighting, installation of cluster lights in clusters, etc.

Keywords

Abdol Rahmani, R. (2004). “Community-based Police and Local Security”, Daneshe Entezami Journal, Vol.6, No. 4, 29-40. [in Persian]
Alavi, S. A., Ghasemi, A., & Ahmad Abadi, A. (2013). “Evaluation and Analysis of Urban Sprawl: 6th district of Tehran”, Modarese Olome Ensani- Barnamerizi va Amayeshe Faza, No. 1, 127-150. [in Persian]
Bayat, B. (2009). Sociology of feeling Security, Tehran: Amirkabir Press. [in Persian]
Brownlow, A. (2005). “A geography of men’s fear”, Geoforum, 36(5), 581-592.
Cohen, D. A., Marsh, T., Williamson, S., Derose, K. P., Martinez, H., Setodji, C. & McKenzie, T.L.  (2010). “Parks and physical activity: Why are some parks used more than others?”, Preventive Medicine, Vol. 50, Supplement, Pp. S9-S12.
Evans, D. & Fletcher, M. (2008). “Fear of crime: testing alternative hypothesis”, Applied Geography, Vol. 20, Pp. 395-411.
Garousi, S., Mirzaie, J. & Shahrokhi, E. (2007). “Investigating the Relationship Between Social Trust and Sense of Security (Study of Female Students of Jiroft Azad University)”, Daneshe Entezami Journal, Vol. 9, No. 2, 26-39. [in Persian]
Ghaffari, Gh. (2011). Social Capital and Security, Tehran: Jame Shenasan Press. [in Persian]
Ghorbani, R., Pour Mohammadi, M. A. & Beheshti Roi, M. (2011). “An Analysis of the Typology of Urban Parks in East Azarbaijan Province Using the Granz Analytical Model”, Motaleat va Pajohesh-haye Shahri va Mantaghai Journal, Vol. 2, No. 8, 19-38. [in Persian]
Goli, A. (2011). “Women and Security in Urban Public Spaces: Shiraz Azadi Park”, Jame-shenasie Tarikhi Journal, No. 2, 143-165. [in Persian]
Gray, E., Jackson, J. & Farrall, S. (2011). “Feelings and Functions in the Fear of Crime, Applying a New Approach to Victimization Insecurity”, British Journal of Criminology, 51, 75-94.
Hashim, N. H. M., Thani, S. K. S. O., Jamaludin, M. A. & Yatim, N. M. (2016). “A Perceptual Study on the Influence of Vegetation Design towards Women's Safety in Public Park”, Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 234, 280 – 288.
Hiborn, J. (2009). Dealing with crime and disorder in urban parks, U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, center for problem–oriented policing. No. 9.
Hilinski, C.M., Pentecost Neeson, K. E. & Andrews, H. (2011). “Explaining the Fear of Crime Among College Women, in Their Own Words”, The Southwest Journal of Criminal Justice, 8(1), 112–127.
Hobbes, T. (2010). Leviathan, Translated by Hossein Bashirieh, Tehran: Nai Press. [in Persian]
Hosseini, H. (2007). “The sense of security Theoretical reflection based on research findings”, Amneiat Journal, Vol. 5, No. 4, 7-51. [in Persian]
Ibrahimzadeh, E. & Rusta, M. (2016). “Assessment and Analysis of the Security of Urban Parks: Jahrom City”, Geography va Amayeshe Shahri Journal, No. 6, 37-52. [in Persian]
Ja'fari Dolatabadi, A. (2010). “The Place of Security in Iran's Criminal Policy”, Ph.D. Thesis, Faculty of Humanities, Tarbiat Modares University. [in Persian]
Khoshroozadeh, J. (2003). “Press and National Security of the Islamic Republic of Iran”, Andishye Enghelabe Eslami, No. 6, 194-209. [in Persian]
Kozegar Kalji, L., Zarghami, S. & Aghaie, P. (2014). “Measuring the Sense of Social Security in Public Green Spaces: Tehran Mellat Park”, Pajoheshname Geographye Entezami, Vol. 2, No. 7, 139-156. [in Persian]
Lindstrom, M. (2008). "Social capital, anticipated ethnic discrimination and self- reported psychological health: A population- based study", Social Science & Medicine, 66 (1): 1-13.
Macmillan, R., Nierobisz, A. & Welsh, S. (2000). “Experiencing the Streets: Harassment and Perceptions of Safety among Women”, Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, 37, 306-322.
Mair, Ch. (2010). “Neighborhood stressors and social support as predictors of depressive symptoms in the Chicago Community Adult Health Study” Health & Place, 16 (5), Pp. 811-819.
Mandel, R. (1998). National security variable, Translated by Pajoheshkade Motaleate Rahbourdi, Tehran: Pajoheshkade Motaleate Rahbourdi Press. [in Persian]
McCrea, R., Shyy, T., Western, J. & Stimson, R. J. (2005). “Fear of Crime in Brisbane, Individual, Social and Neighborhood Factors in Perspective”, Journal of Sociology, The Australian Sociological Association, 41, 7-27.
Mouzen Jami, M. H. (1999). “An Introduction to Security and its Components”, Daneshe Entezami Journal, No. 1, 38-85. [in Persian]
Nasiri, Gh. (2002). “The Meaning and Pillars of Security Sociology”, Rahbourd Journal, No. 26, 112-133. [in Persian]
Novin, P. (2008). “The Concept of Public Order in law”, Hoghoghe Asasi Journal, No. 10. [in Persian]
Owen, T. (2003). “Measuring human security: Overcoming the paradox”, Human Security Bulletin, 2 (3), Pp. 1-11.
Rahnama, M. R. & Hosseini, S. M. (2016). “Study of the Sense of Security in Parks in Area 4 of Mashhad”, Motaleate Amneiate Ejtemaee, No. 47. 229-253. [in Persian]
Sharbati, A. (2016). “Evaluating the Safety of Passengers in Urban Public Spaces (Case study: Forest parks, Nursery and Algeria Townships)”, Pajoheshname Nazm va Amneiate Entezami Journal, Vol. 9, No.2, 1-22. [in Persian]
Shayegan, F. & Rostami, F. (2011). “Social Identity and Security Feeling: Tehran Women”, Barnamerizye Refah va Tosehe Ejtemaee Journal, No. 9, 151-183. [in Persian]
Sreetheran. M. & Van den Bosch, C. C. K. (2014).  “A socio-ecological exploration of fear of crime in urban green spaces – A systematic review”, Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 13 (1), 1-18.
Sreetheran. M. & Van den Bosch, C. C. K. (2015). “Fear of crime in urban parks? What the residents of Kuala Lumpur have to say?”, Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 14 (3), Pp. 702-713.
Stafford, M., Chandola, T. & Marmot, M. (2007). “Association between Fear of Crime and Mental Health and Physical Functioning”, American Journal of Public Health, 97, 2076-2081.
Sutton, R. M. & Farral, S. (2005). “Gender, Socially Desirable Responding and the Fear of Crime: Are Women Really More Anxious about Crime?”, British Journal of Criminology, 45(2), 212-224.
Taghvaei, M. & Haghighat, M. (2015). “Spatialization of Parks in Tehran and Its Influence on Social Security Sense Case Study: Lavizan and Police Parks”, Geography Journal, No. 44, 161-181. [in Persian]
Tajik, M. R. (1999). “Security Protocols in the Islamic Republic of Iran (1997-1999)”, Siasate Khareji Journal, Vol. 13, No. 4, 987-1018. [in Persian]
Takye Khah, J., Varmarziyar, M., Rahmani, Sh. & Mojaradi, H. M. (2013). “The Pathology of Sanandaj Parks and Amusement Parks”, Pajohesh-haye Rahbourdye Amneiat va Nazme Ejtemaee Journal, Vol. 2, No. 6, 131-144. [in Persian]
Tandogan, O. & Ilhan, B. S. (2016). “Fear of Crime in Public Spaces: From the View of Women Living in Cities”, Procedia Engineering, 161, 2011 – 2018.
Valipour Zeromi, S. H. (2002). “Income on foundations of Security Social”, Rahbourd Journal, No. 26, 134-157. [in Persian]