پویایی سرمایه اجتماعی شبکه ذی‌نفعان محلی در راستای مدیریت مشارکتی روستایی مطالعه موردی: شهرستان گچساران

A B S T R A C T
The experience of many developing countries shows that the implementation of projects with participatory approaches and the acceptance of the active role of local communities in development programs will deprive external elements of the responsibility for creating changes in the environment, and the implementation of reforms will depend on the activities of internal elements. Considering that the existence of high social capital among individuals will lead to their greater participation and the success of participatory projects, in this study, the structural characteristics of social capital in line with participatory rural management among the members of micro-development funds in the villages of Chaharbisheh Oliya and Khairabad Khalife in Gachsaran county of Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province before and after the implementation of the development plan and the progress of rural systems have been analyzed. The statistical population in this study is the heads of rural development microgroups, which includes 123 people who were selected using the full network method. In this study, the level of trust and collaboration relationships in the network of stakeholders is based on a network analysis questionnaire and based on direct observation and interviews with all actors, as well as considering the measurement of all macro-level indicators of the network, such as density, concentration, reciprocity, transitivity, and the geodesic distance in the stage before and after the implementation of the project. After the implementation of the project, the number of these indicators increased and reached a desirable level. It can be stated that the implementation of this project has increased the level of trust, participation, and social capital, which will affect the widespread participation of villagers, increase social welfare, and achieve sustainable rural development.
Extended Abstract
Introduction
Social capital refers to “resources embedded in social relations.” It is known for its potential role in joint management. It is becoming increasingly popular because it may reduce the expenses of working, enhance information transition, improve social movement, and encourage collaboration by shared standards. Numerous have examined the effects of social capital, focusing on community empowerment. The distribution of social resources among different communities has different characteristics. Therefore, in order to reduce conceptual complexities and homogenize the interests of residents, especially in rural communities, increased research on joint management of social capital and empowerment has been emphasized. According to the mentioned definitions and based on the research objectives, the study of social capital and its examples, including trust and collaboration in the empowerment of rural society, is a key principle in rural development.
 
Methodology
Gachsaran county is located in Kohgiluye and Boyerahmad province, Iran, with a population of 12400 people. In this city, most people are engaged in agriculture and animal husbandry, and their annual income depends on these sectors. Given economic issues in this region, the "Progress and Development of Rural Systems" project was established in this area. This project aimed to institutionalize and build capacity among rural people, which enables their empowerment and collaboration, as well as the empowerment of rural communities, to improve their livelihood and living standards. In fact, micro-credit funds have been created with the approach of micro-financing based on the production value chain and support sustainable employment in this field. Social Network Analysis (SNA) was employed as a research method in this study because gauging social capital is crucial and challenging and is a crucial approach for assessing it. This method allows researchers to investigate structured connections among players inside a system that either facilitates or hinders human behavior. In this research, the highest-level indexes of the social network have been studied, which are introduced as follows as Density, Centralization, Reciprocity, Transitivity, and Geodesic Distance. The sample size for this research is comprised of all members of microcredit funds in 2 villages (totaling 123 members). In this research, the "full network method" was used.
 
Results and discussion
The Density index in all studied areas increased after the empowerment project was implemented. In addition, on average, the Reciprocity and Transitivity index increased in trust and collaboration networks in the studied villages. Thus, it could be un
 
derstood that social capital and empowerment in local communities are both required and complementary. The results showed that after implementing the plan, the Centralization decreased, and power was divided among the activists. The Geodesic Distance between the two bonds of trust and participation indicates the relatively favorable speed of trust, participation, unity, and unity among people, which has continued to decrease after the implementation of the project. As a result, any action aimed at building the capacity of the local community, increasing social capital, and promoting trust and collaboration among local communities will ultimately lead to maintaining and strengthening the social structures of that community. Therefore, this community develops into a region that serves as the foundation for long-term rural development. These results can be applied to other research and interference areas, such as community development studies, participatory research, and social intervention.
Based on the results of the Density index in the investigated networks, this rate is medium to high, and in terms of trust, cooperation, and social capital, the continuity between the networks rises by the same amount. Accordingly, between the studied links, dense networks can be useful to enhance and develop the members' social capital.  Based on the results of the concentration index, the implementation of the project has effectively reduced the concentration and division of power in the network. Gašević et al. (2019) noted that the lower the concentration level in the network of relationships, the higher the level of power-sharing in the network, and the more stakeholders will be influential in decision-making in rural management. According to the results of the index of reciprocity and transitivity of ties in the study's second phase compared to the phase before the project in the studied villages, the number of ties has increased. Strengthening bonds of trust and cooperation creates a stable network in which people's spirit of trust, cooperation, and cooperation is institutionalized. Also, this leads to increased social capital, and participatory planning in rural development will be associated with less cost and time. The Geodesic Distance between the two bonds of trust and participation indicates the relatively favorable speed of trust, participation, unity, and unity among people, which has continued to decrease after the implementation of the project, which indicates the high circulation of trust and participation among people. Considering the importance of the time and speed of coordinating people in the discussion of collaborative management, strengthening the bond of trust and especially participation in order to increase the speed of circulation of this bond among people and then reduce the time of coordination and unity among the members of micro funds in line with the implementation community-oriented management is essential.
 
Conclusion
In order to develop sustainable rural development, obstacles and challenges need to be recognized. Conscious knowledge and use of social capital is an opportunity to build capacity for participation in rural development. In general, in order to succeed in rural development, strengthening social capital through trust and participation and thereby increasing social cohesion is needed. The formation of micro funds and rural development groups are among the strategies to increase trust and participation among individuals and increase social capital. Social capital in the form of local organizations reduces poverty and increases the community's welfare, which is the basis for achieving
 
sustainable rural development.
 
Funding
This project has been carried out with the financial support of the Islamic Revolution Housing Foundation.
 
Authors’ Contribution
Authors contributed equally to the conceptualization and writing of the article. All of the authors approved the content of the manuscript and agreed on all aspects of the work declaration of competing interest none.
 
Conflict of Interest
Authors declared no conflict of interest.
 
Acknowledgments
This article is a part of the progress and development plan of the rural system of Gachsaran city, which has been funded