Sidewalks in the Algerian city: The significances and social practices A field study in Setif city.

Abstract

The study aims to reveal the different social phenomena related to the sidewalks in Setif Algerian city, charged with social and cultural significances, and therefore, to understand the change occurring in practices and behaviors within this space and explain it from sociological approaches.
Two main questions guided the study:
-What is the nature of social significances embodied in Sétif Algerian city’s sidewalks?
-What is the nature of cultural significances embodied in Sétif Algerian city’s sidewalks?
The study adopted the descriptive method in order to deal with the two guiding questions, interweaved 42 persons representing a targeted sample chosen intentionally from 07 sidewalks according to the criteria of the location and exploitation. The sample was approached with guided interviews and semi-guided interviews, and the observation is used in addition to taking photographs whenever needed.
The study reached the following main results:
1-The phenomena related to sidewalks differ from one street to another according to the services they guarantee, Some of them respectfully the legislation and some other collide with the law and social.
Values.
2-The social and cultural significances embodied nowadays within Sétif city’s sidewalks differ from those of the seventies and eighties because of the nearly complete absence of the state in the organization of the space and from which sidewalks are a part of. Compared to passed periods, the state was more present.
3-The social and cultural significances related to sidewalks, reflect the individual families belonging, their social origins, their scholarship, their cultural level and cultural and political tendencies.