| Literature suggests that applying Affordance Theory to environmental design is likely to create useful and enjoyable environments for human beings. However, this literature lacks a discussion on the association between social/cultural factors and the environment. This research uses Affordance Theory as a framework to discover how social and cultural factors influence the relationships between the environment and behavior among residents of a culturally diverse neighborhood in Madison, Wisconsin. Participatory Photo Mapping (PPM) was used to illustrate the ways in which people perceive and respond to affordances in the neighborhood public spaces included parks, paths, yard spaces, community center, and community gardens. Results show that social and cultural factors strongly encourage the use of neighborhood shared outdoor spaces. Furthermore, this research project also reveals that people view affordances in the environment through distinctly different cultural lenses. This research suggests that Affordance Theory would be improved by integrating social and cultural factors. Future research on the possible impacts social and cultural factors have on perceived affordance will need further inquiry in a wide variety of design environment. |
