Does slowness bring social change through Cittaslow?

Abstract

Purpose The preservation of social structure in slow cities has not been adequately examined in the literature. Therefore, the aim of this study is to examine social change perceptions of local people in a slow city. Whether the dimensions of social change differ according to gender and inhabitancy was investigated. Design/methodology/approach Multivariate analysis of variances was used for data analysis. Data were collected from 399 participants in Seferihisar. Findings Results showed that the perception of local people related to social change differs according to their gender and duration of stay in Seferihisar. Differences were also examined for each sub-dimension of social change. Originality/value The preservation of social structure in slow cities has not been adequately examined in the literature. Accordingly, this study explores social change with five sub-dimensions in the context of Cittaslow.