Sociological Studies When designing for a community it is important to understand how the role of built environment can play on influencing individuals and the identity of a place. This study is proposed to gather and connect sociology theories to architecture and space that helped guide a solution towards place finding for the Muncie Mall. Four articles and two case studies were selected for this section of research. These studies cover a range of theories and ideologies both related to place making and architecture such as: place theory, symbolic interactionism, and architectural sociology to name a few. The research article titled “Evaluating Sense of Community in the Residential environment from the perspective of Symbolic Interactionism and Architecture Design” conducted and written by Hanieh H. Molana and Richard E. Adams contains an in-depth overview of: the sociological theory symbolic interactionism, Architectural sociology, methodology, and a case study over the Ekbatan Residential Complex in Tehran. This article is significant in relating sociology to design and its impact on the community regarding architectural or urban design. Adams and Molana believe sociology should undoubtably be incorporated and used to shape urban infrastructures as they found that, “The role that physical environments can play in influencing individuals’ perception and shared meaning are considerable in reinforcing a sense of community” (Molana and Adams 1600). Understanding how the built environment can affect the way people live, interact, and behave in social situations is something to take into account when designing for spaces to be built with great intentions for large social demand projects such as a shopping mall. With this knowledge prior to the design process, designers are able to enhance the quality of design for the structures. Programs of the mall and Ultimately, the quality of life within the community. The notion of self can be influenced within the physical environment and how a person can reflectively view their own self-worth (Molana and Adams 1599). Molana and Adams found that a shift from formalistic design to a more humanistic paradigm would be most beneficial in regular professional practice.
To gain a different perspective on architectural sociology, the article titled “Symbolic Interaction
Theory and Architecture” by Ronald W. Smith and Valerie Bugni highlights an abundance of research, ideology, and history all accompanying sociological studies related to architecture. Smith and Bugni describe architectural sociology as, “… the study of how socio-cultural phenomena influence BACKGROUND & LITERATURE REVIEW
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