Investigation of Social Structure Changes (Relational Structure):Sociological Study Network Links in Tehran Market

Social changes are generally one of the principle characteristics of contemporary world. Tehran bazaar as an economic entity has witnessed social changes through the recent years especially changes in social structure and simultaneously in its own function. There have been dealt with changes in institutional structure (normative structure) that organizes the relations among actors and also relational structure (the relationships among economic actors) in social structure study. The principle argument of this study is relational structure changes; relational structure is that kind of social structure which includes the mere social relations in bazaar that are considered as reciprocity relations pattern among market people. The relations structure have been divided into two groups in this study, first, internal relations: at the micro level, interpersonal relations; middle level, community relations; second, external relations: distribution network relations at the micro level, domestic trade, domestic trade in the middle level, and foreign trade at the macro level. The intention of social relations network is a regular collection of similar social ties or contacts among people or groups. The viewpoint of "carved networks in social relations" shows that behavioral norms, social customs, and economic policies are the results of current relations, the relations that are regularly created and repaired in interaction with society, (Relational structure). Tehran bazaar strategic position in Iran economy has owed foreign relations network in connection with distribution function of bazaar which includes 1.Local business (within Tehran city), 2.Domestic trade (economic relations network of Tehran bazaar with other Iran bazaars), and 3.Foreign trade (export and import). Moreover, unique ability of historical organizing of Tehran bazaar has owed bazaar internal relations network that it means Tehran bazaar organizing ability has been caused by 1.Individual relations and 2.Community relations, in fact. Accordingly, network relations structure out of Tehran bazaar and also its internal relations network enhances the impressive level of Tehran bazaar on others and provides Tehran bazaar with social organizing and powerful economic abilities. The important point is that such a relational structure in Tehran grand bazaar has changed nowadays (Husseiniqomi, 2014). Accordingly, changes in relational structure (the relations are among economic actors) are considered in this study and there have been used of social networks theories for relational structure discussion. The social networks theory is one of the contemporary theories in economic sociology that it has been used for studying bazaar network links and for considering created changes in relational structure and economic function of Tehran bazaar.
Material and This study methodology is quantitative (mensuration) and there has been used of standardized questionnaire as data collection in the present study. "Questionnaire is a set of questions that involves all important indicators of desired concepts in assumptions; each question is corresponding with one of the indicators, thus the response that it receives will provide the required information for measuring hypothesis" (Rafipour, 1997; Kiwi, 1998 158). The measuring method has been done in a way that social structure changes include both relational and institutional structures and also Tehran bazaar economic function in the form of open-ended and closed questions_ that were mostly designed as items_ were designed and improvised after several preliminary tests in the questionnaire.
It was determined through the research that there could not use of possible-quota sampling with the same ease which accomplish in the common evaluating research. Therefore, it was used of relative-quota sampling and because this stage of research does not diminish at this time, it was decided to be briefly explained the discussion of possible sampling for some market people who were supposed to introduce the researcher to the others and aware the market people of the importance of introducing. In fact, it was told them those people whom they introduce must be of all classes until the questionnaires are completed, statistical work is done, the researcher is not achieved statistical problems, and he/she can say this sample can be generalized to the entire bazaar of Tehran. And in fact, if this sample is not a handful of thousands, the obtained information is not suitable for scientific work at the end.
Discussion of results and Tehran bazaar consists of an area about of 15% of Tehran city area and considering its current position in Tehran indicates that bazaar economic organization has been basically organized in distribution section and macro and micro trading, and still has relatively effective functions in Tehran economy. Continuation of economic and social effective functions of Tehran bazaar have caused to be largely kept bazaar position in economy and civil society that in the meantime, a part of Tehran grand bazaar abilities in keeping its position in Tehran returns to economic organization and human resources network which are reinforced by some of active economic-social institutions and elites efforts in bazaar. Tehran grand bazaar economic organization due to its features including independence in the influence area like monetary and financial areas has had active institutions in this area from the ancient time, but new institutions in the cotemporary era have challenged this important feature of bazaar and limited a part of its authorities and abilities. This research findings show that generally there have emerged some changes in economic functions and social structure of Tehran bazaar and faced with changes the relations between actors and dominant rules on it in internal level (include community, middle, and interpersonal relations); in this regard, some of the assumptions were confirmed and some rejected. Also, descriptive findings indicated that relations structure within Tehran bazaar is high (69/3) based on the average of respondent's ideas in terms of cooperative relations. Ideas average in relation with relations intensity (it means the amount of time that co-workers spend through the occupational activity together) is more than average (30/3) and the competition among them is more than average, too (30/3). Consultation to solve problems and financial cooperation are (94/2) and (40/3), respectively; besides, community relations in Tehran bazaar is less than average (55/2).
The main issue discussed in this article is the investigation of relational structure as one of the components of the social structure of a large market in Tehran. Relational structure Includes social relations in the market and is considered as the pattern of relationships between merchants.
For a discussion of relational structure is used of the theories of social networking - contemporary theories of economic sociology - to study of the links to the network is the market. Mixed method (qualitative and quantitative) has been used a qualitative method for early recognition and reaches the subject (62 interviews), and quantitative (200 questionnaires) to assess changes in the construction and functioning of market economic and relational structure has been applied.
The findings show in general, changes in the social structure and functioning economic of the market and the relationships between actors and the rules governing Tehran emerged in the inner surface (including the relationships interpersonal, Intermediate, and community) and external (trade local, domestic trade and foreign trade) has been changed.