Economy

At present, agriculture is being considered as a major economic activity in Iranian rural settlments. It provides essential needs of the settlers, creates job opportunities, increases revenue as well as plays a prominent role regarding the peasant household’s economy. However, agriculture by itself is not capabale in reponsding to household livelihood. That is, there exists a need for complementary source of income such as fuel wood production units. The major objective of this study is to investigate the process of forming these producton units and to investigate their existance in Seemacan Fars. The research method is based on analytical – descriptivemethod. This is followed by filling questionnaire by village councils pertaining to 40 villages as well as 249 rural households. This study suggests that emergence of this type of complementary economic unites dated back to 1370. It speeds up in 1380. The majority of these production unites are located in pole be payee and Koshksar, moheet Ab and Ab shoykh. Economically speaking the income of each rural household is 2.5 times of regular, non dependent householdes to this source. Furthermore, there exists a significant relationships between unemployment (r=0.274) and per-capita agriculture land (r=-0.224). It is further suggested that there is a significant correlation between household’s economic status and p revalenceof these production units. The packaging factory and corresponding ::::union:::: and Insurance are highly recommended.

Rural regions have experienced varied changes and social and economic reconstruction during last three decades. There exists great tendency toward functional integration between villages and cities due to increase in mobility, improvement in communication information as well as rural services. This in turn, resulted in the expansion of urban function including construction mass housing units, production, services, recreations and tourism activities in these regions. These functional changes case conversion in the nature of rural areas based on agricultural production, into consumption-orientation center. This new entities are non-homogeneous. This situation is influenced by many factors including physical conditions such as geographic location, isolation, and characteristics, climatic and sometimes human differences responsible for rural economic and social variations. Taking into account these variations and nonhomogeneities in rural area, efficient and optimum development plans are nonexistence. Increase in urban-ruralization around Tehran metropolitan has led to major physical, economic, social and cultural consequences. Lack of identification of the major relevant roots and sources has led to expansion of these negative consequences to other identical places. This in turn, demands the identification of the responsible factors and its change processes and mechanisms. Thus, the identification, explanations, exploration of those laws and frame works pertaining to urban ruralization as a major topical-spatial phenomenon is highly recommended. The first step in this regard is the determination, definition and assessment of ruralization and more specifically urbanruralization. The study area is Roobat Karim located in the vicinity of Tehran metropolitan. It is followed by determination of degree of ruralization as well as majorresponsible relevant factors.

Taking into account the nature and the objective of the study, descriptive-analytical method was chosen. Based on theoretical foundation of the study, there exist different methods and indices regarding the identification and classification of ruralization. This study concentrates on two dimensions including village’s functions and population and its growth during 1976-2011. It is followed by application of PROMETHEE multi indices decision making method in order to determine village’s functional status through emphasis on agricultural activities. This study further demands hierarchical clustering technique for classification of the villages. Finally, Clack ruralization indices as well as field survey were applied for determination of the village type in this regard. Furthermore, with respect to those villages which urban ruralization occurred, qualitative method of base theory that is Grounded theory was applied in order to identify the responsible factors. At first step interview with rural key official persons and with those with long history of residency (31) was implemented in order to find the casual conditions pertaining to formation and expansion of urban ruralization phenomena. In the second step, taking into account the methodology of the base theory, open coding was done. Regarding this step those relevant raw data were both labeled and conceptualized. Following, the second and third steps sub-classes are divided into broad concepts and those were divided into nodal concepts.

This study concludes that based on application of base theory in 8 villages, many factors including life desirability comparing with place of birth and adjacent settlements, lack of special costs, inexpensive business, lack of cultural barriers, variation in job opportunities, existence of different rents, economic and political structures are among some of the influential factors regarding urban-ruralization phenomena. It is furtherargued that income and saving level, the nature of center-periphery theory, capital accumulation system, discrimination with respect to poverty issue, imbalanced distribution of power, wealth, income and access to job opportunities are other determinant factors as well. Incapacity with respect to attraction of external capitals for creation of job opportunities, shortage of complementary jobs to combat seasoned unemployment, lack of potential for absorbing educated and well equipped social capital, lack of technical and vocational training related to appropriate agricultural technology, shortages of ample suitable agricultural lands and lack of knowledge of environmental conservation are among other responsible variables in this regard. Moreover, lack of appropriate and efficient agricultural market systems as well as cooperation’s and ware houses, need for government and other institutions supports, incapability in formation of industrial clusters, lack of tendency regarding economic background good for villages, management, the formation of two different construction types, land price and its relevant speculation, property rent, lack of effective control upon rural physical development, economic household participation and lack of social responsibility and self-reliance and easy accessibility to Tehran metropolitan all are responsible regarding degree of ruralization of Roobat Karim.

The accumulation of capital is being considered as a major driving force as far as the development is concerned. The mechanism of this accumulation implemented during three processes. Capital accumulation within different historical and geographical setting results in special locational forms known as space economy. Historical experiences with respect to capital accumulation in Iran indicate that the first phase of this accumulation has been occurred in Iran. However, this cycle did not follow second and third phases. In other word, productive investment did not happen in the country .This paper aims to investigate the trend of capital accumulation as well as its relevant spatial analysis.

This study predominantly deals with documentation gathered via statistical center. It further demands application of Pearson regression correlation for analysis purpose. More specifically, it demands Moran statistic, standard deviation in order to measure spatial auto correlation GIS and SPSS software were used as well.

This study suggests that the first phase of capital accumulation did not occur in the country. The nature of capital accumulation did not lead to productive investment. There exists a prominent gap from wealth generation potential and accumulation of capital standpoint. The existed spatial organization, lack of economic network system, and the existence of service economy and high real state dependency all restricted the achievement of this possibility. This in turn is associated with the situation of the country within global economy. Prominent global economy dominance with high potential regarding security and guaranteed investment turn over, act as magnet. It is argued that informative investment and knowledge based understanding exclusively act within global context in which many countries are unable to compete with multi-national corporations.

Nowadays, management and economy as science as well as entrepreneurship receive special attention. Strengthening entrepreneurship and creation of an appropriate setting for its development are being considered as a good tool for economic improvement namely in developing countries. Based on entrepreneurship world statement, there exist a high relationship between national economic growth and organizational and national entrepreneurship level. Generally speaking, entrepreneurs potentially exist in any country. However, one should put extra effort to increase their capabilities. Moreover, the existing structures should pave the way for proving themselves. As a matter of fact, entrepreneurs play a vital role regarding social and economic development and transformation. They act as a prime element for revitalization as well as continuation of development. That is why many governments in both developed and developing countries try to guide and encourage entrepreneurs and provide them relevant education .Iran experienced high rural-urban migration as a result of rural backwardness. This is associated with ghettoes, down grading of quality of life, low job opportunities, increase in crime and delinquency. The major objective of rural plan is the achievement of rural development. This in turn will lead to reduction of unemployment increase in job opportunities. These two phenomena are the resultant of Imbalanced labor force, demand and supply as well as decrease in agricultural growth sector in rural areas and decline in job opportunities (23.4%). It is argued that agricultural development by itself cannot guarantee rural economic development and irradiate poverty. Thus attention to other sectors is strongly suggested. Despite, the importance of entrepreneurial ship and its impact upon global economy, Iran has not paid an appropriate attention in this regard. High degree of youth population, lack of job opportunities, high unemployment rate demand more attention to this phenomenon. As such this paper predominantly aims to access entrepreneurship status in southern Astarabad in Gorgan.

This study possesses descriptive- analytical nature. It is farther based on survey technique and questionnaire. As such 10 experts in the area were asked to give their opinions in order to weigh the relevant chosen criteria. Study area is composed of 16 villages which house 4805 households. Cochran formula was applied in order to determine the appropriate sample size with the significant level of 95%. Sample size turned out to be 356 which extracted via random sampling technique taking into consideration the number of households in every individual village. This study further followed by application of hierarchical weighing fuller triangle technique regarding the viewpoints of the experts. At the end, it demands ORESTE model in order to rank the villages.

This study suggests that entrepreneurship not only cause better utilization of the existing resources, but also paves the way for rural settlements sustainability. This is because entrepreneurship through providing job opportunities and resultant sufficient incomes make the settlers to remain in their village. It further could attract investment and draw outside labor force to the area. This in turn will strengthen the foundations of national regional development. However, all of the villages do not possess the same potential in terms of entrepreneurship. As such this study try to prioritize villages located in southern Astarabad in Gorgan from entrepreneurship aspect. According to experts view points, accessibility to education and training, consulting, experiences, knowledge and skill are being considered as main yardsticks in this regard. However, access to capital without needed education and training could not lead to entrepreneurship. According to ORESTE technique computation Naziabad, Sarnabad, and Maryamabad, based on the above mentioned criteria possess the highest ranks as opposed to lower shahkoh, Siyashlou and Qazagh-mahale. This study suggests education and training regarding entrepreneurship specifically in the area of tourism. It believes that lack of capital is being considered as a major obstacle in the study area. Providing low interest loans to rural settlers which could give them initial capital and motivation with respect to entrepreneurship is highly recommended.

Achievement of rural development as a way to maintain national security and identity requires extra efforts regarding deprivation issue in backward regions and makes them receive their development rights. Economic development paves the way for creation of optimum and thriving life space. It is argued that physical isolation, potential economic and physical incapability, and remoteness from political, economic and decision making focal points enhance their degree of under development and make the corresponding gap even wider. The authors believe that the creation of border markets in rural areas is being considered as one of the strategy regarding spatial economic development in border areas. This could lead to stabilization of population, creation of job opportunities, , reduction of goods smuggling activities, utilization of common resources between neighboring countries, sustainable economic development. It further decreases geopolitics tensions between two countries through increase in goods movement and better utilization of space economy. Golestan province and Gonbad Kuvoos city are located in dry climatic region. This is associated with potential physical and economic incapability namely with respect to agricultural sector. Lack of space economy invites planning. One of the most important plans regarding economic development taking into account its potential situation as well as its border location is development of border markets in which could facilitate the trade between two countries. This in turn would grantee security, employment and higher level of development. This study aims to emphasize spatial development and rural organization with respect to border villages. Taking into account its specific climatic conditions as well as geopolitics challenges resulted from having common border with Torkamanestan, development of border markets could be an appropriate option. They could enhance national security, stabilization of population as well as immigration.

This study has applied nature. Data gathered through documentary approach. After reviewing the relevant literatures and based on finding associated with previous studies conducted by Fajr development consulting engineers and existing information, indices and indicators were selected. This is followed by application of multi criteria decision making technique, TOPSIS, regarding data analysis.

Based on the application of TOPSIS technique and corresponding computation and more specifically measurement of similarity index, Dashli Brun would be an optimum location for creation of border market and considered to be target village. The corresponding indices regarding determination of Dashi Brun as target village are distance to Inche Brun border market, to Eshghabad, to provincial town, to border, concentration index, amenities indices and population growth rate. It is argued that distance to Inche Brun border market could lead to better distribution of economic activities in border region. Moreover, distance from capital of Torkamanestan, Eshghabad, could enhance trade along the border and subsequent economic prosperity in the bordering region. Distance to Golestan center and other populous cities increase both imports and exports activities in border market. Centrality index and population growth rate will lead to provision of needed labor force for border market as well as better population distribution in the region and the province. This in turn will improve rural space economy in pioneer area. In effect, development of Dashli Brun border market will have great impact upon rural economic development income level and other corresponding development indices .Space economy associated with rural area more specifically border regions demand more attention ,interactions and components resulted from government divergence and convergences, border line controls and preventing goods smuggling activities. It is argued that space economy play better role regarding border market. The development of border market could well be justified by the existence of physical and climatic barriers, unpleasant social, economic and entertaining conditions, lack of desire and motivation to leave in the area, political, economic and security challenges in the area This invites planning in order to fully utilize the regional potentials. 

Introduction
In economy structure of rural districts in different countries, agriculture is considered as the main source of livelihood. The most important characteristic of this structure is lack of diversification for economic contexts and job opportunities, especially for the increasing number of people in the villages which is almost the result of attitude toward the village and government policies and internal factors in the village. The consequences that are the results of dependency of the users to the environment out of the village and external markets, obvious and unobvious unemployment, decrease in return of investment, destruction of basic natural resources, rural economy vulnerability, and instability of income sources include weakening economy and culture of the village, rural migration and marginalization. The country's villages have a weak economy and they are vulnerable because of their severe dependency on agriculture and its income and lack of employment sources and non-farm income sources. Agriculture section is not capable of increasing the level of income because of limitation of land areas which cannot be increased. Therefore, it seems necessary to search for another income source regarding the capabilities and limitation of each region of the country for rural economy diversification in order to increase the population stability in the villages. Upper Ashkevar rural district is located in a mountain region and therefore it has limitation in land area, it has agriculture -based livelihood, a limited capacity for employing workforce and no diversification. Because of population growth and increase of the number of young workforce, unemployment rate is growing every day and it seems to be extremely important to find alternative strategies for villagers' employment and income earning in this region focusing on population stability and saving the remained population. Therefore, diversification approach for rural economic activities as a useful strategy is one of the most important strategies which is presented for reducing the negative impacts of unsustainability in different environmental, economic and social aspects on rural contexts and in accordance with sustainable development pattern which is confirmed by most of international organizations including Global Bank and by most of theorists. High vulnerability of agriculture activities in the region has increased the necessity of diversification in agriculture activities. This study aims to answer the following question: "What are the most important limitations in diversification of rural economic activities in Upper Ashkevar"?
Methodology
This survey is a practical one, regarding its aim and it is done by descriptive-analytic method. The population includes villages of Ashkurat district in Rudsar which is determined according to field studies in the region and exploratory studies. For assessment of studied variables, we used survey methods and documentary research methods to obtain the information needed. In documentary part, we collected data by reviewing the literature and theories and in quantitative part we analyzed data which were collected through field study and also by the information provided from some organizations. The study population includes villages of Upper Ashkevar rural district (53 villages) in Rudsar County. To determine the number of households, we used Cochran Formula and according to that, samples are 285 households. Alfa Cronbach coefficient is calculated 0.786. To analysis the impacts of infrastructural and basic variables, natural factors and social factors which are effective on the lack of diversification in rural economy activities, we used step by step multi regression analysis method. The studied region is located in Rahimabad district in Rudsar County, north of Iran. Its elevation is 1500 to 2000 meter above sea level. Its population has decreased from 2478 people in 2006 to 1619 people in 2011. Agriculture is the basic occupation for the villagers in this region. Environmental limitation especially droughts in recent decades and climate changes in most years have threatened the agriculture production in this area.
Discussion and Conclusion
One of the most effective factors to describe the presence of increasing unemployment, low income, migration from rural districts to cities, low level of production, and inefficient use of resources is lack of diversification in economic activities in rural settlements. This issue has a fundamental role in economic instability. Rural settlements in this region are affected by many factors including unevenness of the soil surface, weather, water resources, soil and vegetation, limitation of slope, cold weather, geographical isolation and lack of infrastructures. As a result, there is a sever instability in economy and population of this region; in a way that during two censuses in 85 and 90, population of this region decreased by 30%. Increase of unemployment, poverty, income inequality and as a consequence pressure on basic resources have resulted in environmental problems including soil erosion. The obtained results show that among all the different factors which were studied, the impact of infrastructural and basic factors is more than other variables. Then, environmental factors, economic factors and social factors are effective in lack of rural economy diversification respectively. Regarding this, providing and implementing development plans for expansion and improvement of infrastructure levels such as suitable road, supporting services for production and alternant industries can be effective in rural economy diversification of the region.
 

Changes in spatial patterns and its structural and functional dynamics which is apparently obvious within physical links and relationships of cities and rural and urban network is fundamentally one of the outcomes of forces that contribute to the controlling process of actual mechanism of capital absorption, its flow, work forces, and population. Such forces play a significant role in excess flow and changes made in the structure of spatial system of regional network and its reconstruction, especially in urban networks. Results coming from changes in urban structures usually appear in form of physical development of structures and physical and functional changes which can cause alternative changes in the spatial structure of regional network system and urban network in terms of regional space and its peripheral relations. So, studying urban mechanisms can effectively help us in developing an efficient analytical framework or strategy of space reconstruction just in case that we try to study changes and understand forces and effective process on the construction and reconstruction of urban systems. This point of view can enable us to justify organization and reorganization of urban networks in regional space.

Considering thinking direction of political economic (as the fundamental theory), this research is investigating the rate of socioeconomic changes and basic mechanisms which lead to the creation and transferring of patterns of spatial organization in regional space of Kerman. Regarding the nature of the subject and its components, making use of analyticaldescriptive method as an excellent approach was something inevitable. The official definition of statistical population of this research includes of urban centers of Kerman Province. Theoretical and quantitative information have been collected from scientific and statistical resources through documentary method. To explain and interpret regularities and rules of distribution of the size of cities and changes related to regional and urban network system, quantitative method of rank - size and prime city have been used to explain spatial hierarchy and intra city relations and links.

Local economic relations, excess flow and reconstruction of urban mechanism in regional space of Kerman County have all occurred within a process of three different periods: First period: Rural economic, excess occasions and urban dominant: In the initial years of land reforms and within this time, excess possession of landlords was forming the foundations of different methods of social management in spatial organization of the area. Of course, the domination of the biggest city of the area (Kerman), has been the most prominent form of spatial reflection of urban network. Within this period of time, urbanization has been gradually progressing in Kerman Province. It should be noted that the imbalanced growth of urban mechanism is one of the consequences of inequalities in agricultural sectors and among rural areas that has resulted into imbalanced distribution of regional space. In addition, it has caused all the privileges connected to the concentration of capital, facilities, activities and population to be allocated to the metropolis of the area. The functional feature which is particularly dominant is known as the basic feature of exploitation capitalism which is applied in villages and small cities of the area by Kerman. Second period: Changes in local economic network, the rise of oil rents, and related urbanization: After land reforms and formation of rentier state, national oil surplus has had a great impact upon the construction of the environment of the area. From the time of the complete destruction of local and regional networks used in order to exploit excess rural resources, a series of aggressive actions was begun in the city of Kerman via the absorption of extra mines and industries which was not merely resulted from production. Actually, it was kind of ownership royalty appointed by urban governance to make higher amount of production, activities and concentration. Excess industrial-mining flow is mainly departed into the central area. A great amount of it has been grasped by the regional metropolis of Kerman. Financial mechanisms of budgeting, credit distribution, development programs and distribution of bank deposits by the government are examples of other forms of investment in this period. These forms have made unequal spatial concentration and heterogeneous current of national surplus in urban networks to be possible. A great amount of excess flow is dominantly and unequally devoted to Kerman through development budget and bank deposits. Patterns related to the velocity of money and surplus unequal concentration not only reflected over the spatial organization of settlement system (space of area) in forms of imbalanced development, but has also constructed and reconstructed a new but unequal networks of cities and rural- urban areas within the same space. Third period: Urban changes and excess absorption: Since 1370s, urban transformations caused inequalities in excess absorption, excess flow, and excess accumulation in urban networks through the creation of new frameworks. In this way, new imbalanced forms have gotten expanded in regional space of the area. In this period, the process of urbanization was the main reason of using rents (excess). Excess absorption was also done through these urban changes and transformations. The mostly used rent-seeking structures are made through space creation, high profit-making plans of urban development, designing and performing noncommercial projects by private section and state actors which can lead into the production of value and surplus value. The implementation of these kinds of project which are considered as success tools for urban management in competitions for a closer and longer approaching to rents are the most significant factors affecting urban transformations to absorb and make an unequal excess flow within the cities. Considering this, the real strategy of regional integration and reconstruction of regional and urban networks based on declining hegemonic relations in the metropolis and availability of equal chances of development for networks staff must be relied on a special pattern via which we can provide situations of employment generation based on internal capacities of local economic growth in the bottom of the whole network together with eccentric growth of large urban nodes (Kerman) mixed with several developing old nods (Rafsanjan, Sirjan, Jiroft, Bam and Zarand). It seems obvious that a model like this cannot be effective without reviewing and rethinking of its structural relations and concepts and regulations of the hegemonic process of national surplus.

Countries with a rentier economy are usually dependent on the export of raw materials. Such countries have a centralized political system and inefficient bureaucracy that incorporate a broader administrative division in one or two cities. Dependence on the global economy (Endogenous Development), and the lack of a democratic political system, provides good conditions of centralization in different aspects.

It seems that despite all the efforts made after the revolution in Iran to remove deprivation and establish regional balance, there are still examples of regional imbalances. Finding an appropriate answer to this fundamental question of "How big and effective has been the political economic model governing our country?" we have tried to present a spatial analysis of Iran's approach to the political economy of the last decade to explain the role of political economy of space on regional imbalance as assessing regional balance of the country.

The survey done to get applied for observing planning and accounting systems of political economy in Iran, using descriptive-analytical and correlation methods.

In order to complete research database, the preliminary data collected by examining statistics and other statistical documents in the Statistical Center of Iran and Islamic parliament research center. The data have been sorted in the form of 28 indicators and variables. GEO DaTM software was used for drawing maps exhibiting Percentage distribution of wealth and power in different parts of the country. To determine rating and index score of the political economy of space a combined method of TOPSIS and Entropy has been used. The spatial autocorrelation of political economy and regional imbalance was calculated by Local Moran statistics in GIS 10. Estimating composite index of equilibrium level and regional inequality we have used COPRAS, a multiple criteria decision making model. This model was offered because of the presence of some positive and negative variables. Finally, in order to investigate the presence of any relation between political economy of space and regional inequalities ruling Iran and for the identification of the types of relations, linear regression in SPSS19 has been used.

Planning and decision- making are considered as systematic cause and effect of the political economy governing the implementation of space projects and programs. A question to which every restored geographical environment may confront is that "due to the time, how can the pattern and operation of political economy of space affect the structure of different areas to make them balanced or imbalanced? How much is the range of its effectiveness? And how can it change the direction?" In this way, Iran has been tested and analyzed to find a reasonable answer to this question.

In our country, inappropriate physical housing in villages is the result of "bad housing" that can be inferred as one of the most important challenges in rural development. This phenomenon is the result of inappropriate resilient construction, worn-out houses, pollutions because of coexistence of animals and human, sharing the living space with working place; and these issues are caused by inappropriate economic, social and cultural characteristics that govern the rural society of the country and also they are derived from lack of attention to technical obligations, worn-out houses, lack of effective supervision, inadequate infrastructural and economic provision. Therefore, to decrease the bad housing condition in rural districts of the country, some efforts have been started through improvement and renovation of worn-out texture, retrofitting of rural buildings, provision of technical and quality regulations and obligation and issuing ownership documents together with codification of second phase of development plan that provide a good condition for socioeconomic changes in rural districts. These changes have impacts on meeting the needs of the residents and their quality of life, their livelihood changes, and rural housing functions through improvement of physical environment of the rural district. So, this study tries to answer the following questions:

This is a practical study that uses descriptive-analytical methods to determine the issue and its results according to performed field studies (questionnaire, observation and interview). Shamshir rural district is located in Paveh County in the west of Kermanshah province and all the eight villages of this rural district are evaluated in this study. According to general population and housing census (1390) the total number of households in this rural district is 2593 households. 287 households are selected as sample population by using Cochran Formula and questionnaires were distributed randomly. For data analysis different statistical method have been used such as One Sample T-Test (to compare numerical mean), Wilcoxon Test (before and after rural housing improvement) and Kruskal Wallis Test (measuring current differences in the rank of diversification to economic activities in sample villages) and Spearman Correlation Coefficient Test.

Discussion and Conclusion
The results showed that most of new housings, which were constructed by the incentives of government including its credits and supervision, have a substructure of 100 square meters. To overcome the steep slope that governs the village site and to decrease the humidity, new housings are constructed according to a two-storey building design in which the ground flood is inhospitable. Studying the impacts of rural housing improvement and renovation shows widespread differences between two periods which were before and after this process. So, these changes can be mostly considered in housing building plans and maps and extensive modelling of urban housing designs, elimination of some basic elements of old housings and also high availability of facilities and infrastructure services; the basic reasons of these changes include logging bans in forests and pastures, discontinuing traditional way of living based on livestock farming and using forests, improvement of transportation roads and turning them to highways, proximity to Paveh county, and prevalence of unofficial economy and contraband trade. According to respondents' point of view, the results show that all of the studied components have a meaningful difference in periods before and after physical improvement. The most meaningful differences are in rendering services like mechanical service, carwash service, tire mounting and balancing service (-15.002), and employment in non-agricultural activities among men (-14.883) respectively, and the least meaningful differences are reported in such components like households' needs (bread, vegetables, fruit and dairy) (-6.398) and performing economic activities inside the home by women such as handicrafts and carpet weaving (-7.228). Moreover, correlation analysis shows that there is a meaningful relation between rural housing improvement components and components of nonagricultural activities among men (0.812), designing a special place for livestock (-0.603), assigning a part of the house to rendering automobile services (mechanical, carwash, tire mounting and balancing services) (0.600) and performing economic activities inside the home by women (0.324) at a level of 99 percent. In conclusion, the result of classification of changes in economic functions of rural housings in Shamshir rural district does not show a meaningful difference among the studied villages. Therefore, according to the respondents' point of view, the most average ranks in performing the studied economic activities are as follow: non-agriculture employment among men in Shamshir village; assigning a part of the house to services in Dorisan village; performingactivities related to gardening and assigning a place for production and selling the forest's products in Bandare village; and in designing a place for livestock and performing economic activities in home by women in Tazdeh, Bandare and Dorisan villages.