Analysis of network social capital among ranchers with different levels of participation (Case study: rangeland of Dehgolan city, Kurdistan province)

Rangeland's development will not be possible without the participation of Ranchers. Today, network social capital can control the participatory behavior of users in the protection of rangelands and their customary boundaries. The purpose of this study is to analyze the social capital of the network among ranchers with different levels of participation in conservation projects (biological projects including seeding and enclosure; and biomechanics or banking projects) of the customary rangelands of Dehgolan city. The research method is descriptive-analytical based on a questionnaire, and its statistical population includes 275 users of rangelands in 10 conventional areas of the region based on the audit list. The samples were selected randomly, and 160 rangeland operators were selected using Cochran's formula. To determine the validity of the questionnaire, a panel of experts was used, which included professors and technical experts of the General Administration of Kurdistan Province. Cronbach's alpha values for "common goals of rangers with local networks" and "common goals of rangers with government networks" were calculated as 0.80 and 0.82, respectively. The results of the Helmert contrast approach showed that beneficiaries who were permanently involved in rangeland conservation projects had more common goals with local and government networks than beneficiaries who were temporarily involved in rangeland conservation projects. The results showed that using the social capital capacity of the network can change the participatory approach of users to implement rangeland conservation projects by strengthening the cohesion of local communities.