Choosing a Theoretical Framework According to the Prerequisites for Sustainable Rural Development

One of the most important stages of an academic research is choosing a certain suitable theoretical framework. Therefore, this research aimed to find a theoretical framework according to the prerequisites for sustainable rural development. A theoretical framework is a perspective and a school of thought based on which a research is organized. There are different theoretical frameworks and schools in economic knowledge, which can explain issues differently. Therefore, an appropriate theoretical framework should be chosen to identify a specific subject and analyze its related issues. Accordingly, to analyze and identify the issues related to sustainable rural development, it is necessary to use an appropriate theoretical framework that can provide a more realistic explanation. Thus, the data were analyzed using a descriptive-analytical method, and the most important prerequisites for sustainable rural development were identified by referring to the literature. According to the results, education, human development, institutional regime, social development, improvement of productivity, environment, equality, improvement of infrastructure, promotion of non-agricultural employment, and technology were recognized as the most important prerequisites for sustainable rural development, most of which having an institutional nature. Therefore, the best theoretical framework that can explain and analyze the issues related to sustainable rural development and provide more realistic explanation is “institutional economics”.