Influence of personal space on privacy-related psychological comfort in migratory settlements: a case study of Muththettugala, Kurunegala

Abstract

The housing programs designed for migrant communities in Sri Lanka are mostly focused on the physical aspect of housing, ignoring other aspects of living environments, such as privacy and personal space. The proxemics theory of personal space, developed by Hall in 1966, has been found to affect human behaviours. Other studies have found that inadequate privacy-related psychological comfort and personal space can cause negative effects on human psychology. Migratory communities are likely to face these issues, especially since their new living environment would disrupt their previous spatial and social environments. The present study aims to investigate the effect of personal space on the privacy-related psychological well-being of the people living in the selected migrant housing settlement in Kurunegala. A mixed-method approach has been employed to conduct this study, and all 24 households in the selected settlement were surveyed using structured questionnaires consisting of both quantitative and qualitative questions. The results of the study found that the high residential proximity and lack of control over personal space negatively affect the privacy-related psychological comfort of residents of the housing settlement. Though the people adapt to these situations, the lack of privacy causes negative aspects such as increased stress, decreased psychological security, low feelings of belonging, and decreased autonomy, especially for people living in the rural areas of Sri Lanka. The study concludes that the control over personal space has greater significance for the privacy-related psychological well-being of people than the size of the dwelling or the density of the residential area.