The impact of factors promoting social capital in rural areas (Case study: Selected villages of Hashtroud city)

In the last two decades, the concept of social capital has been emphasized due to its relationship with basic social components including awareness, participation, trust, cohesion, and social network in the direction of sustainable development of societies, especially rural societies. Social capital in rural communities is considered one of the key factors of development, therefore, to achieve sustainable rural development, having social capital is essential. This research has focused on the role of effective factors in the promotion of social capital in selected rural areas in Hashtroud City. While in the traditional view of management, economic, physical, and human capitals play a fundamental role. But, in the new attitude, the settlements need to improve the social capital more. Because, without improving social capital, it will not be possible to use other capitals in an optimal way. In a settlement that does not benefit from sufficient social capital, its other capital will also disappear. Therefore, the issue of social capital is considered a fundamental category. The findings of the current research, which was conducted using a descriptive-survey method and based on a questionnaire, indicate that individual, social, economic, and institutional factors have a significant relationship with social capital. Thus, the results of the path analysis showed that individual factors with an overall effect of 0.739 and economic factors with an overall effect of 0.6361 respectively have the greatest effect on social capital in the studied villages, and structural-institutional factors with an overall effect of 0.174 have the least effect. It has had the most impact on other factors affecting social capital. Social capital in rural communities is considered one of the key factors of development, therefore, to achieve sustainable rural development, having social capital is essential.