Assessment and Measurements of Social Capital Status; a Case Study of Zakhiroyeh District Villages

Aims & Backgrounds: Attention to social capital can play an important role in improving the process of planning for rural development, relevant professionals and facilitating the participation of villagers in the better implementation of the program. The present research pursues two main objectives: a) Assessment and measurement of the status of social capital in the villages of Zakheryeh rural districts. B. Determining the extent of the impact of the three main dimensions of social capital (trust, participation and cohesion) on the status of social capital. Methodology: Research method is descriptive-analytical. According to the statistical population (3382 people); the sample size was determined using the Cochran formula which is 345 people. In this research social capital was evaluated using 20 variables in the form of a questionnaire. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for analysis using T-Test, Spearman and Path Analysis. Findings: Among the research variables, only Social Participation has a direct impact on social capital. The other two variables of research (trust and social cohesion) have direct and indirect effects on social capital. Conclusion: Social participation has a direct impact on social capital (0.624 unit). The most favourable status of social capital was related to Mazraeh, Pahn, Cham Koor and Pir Gheyb respectively.