Analysis of the effects of social capital components on the sustainable development of rural settlements (Study Case: Ardal County)

In recent years, the significance of focusing on the concept of sustainable rural development and its role in national development and planning frameworks has grown substantially. Hence, the primary goal of this study is to examine the relationship and impact of social capital components on the sustainable development of rural settlements in Ardal County. The research methodology is descriptive-analytical and survey-based, utilizing a survey and field data collection approach. Twenty-six out of the inhabited villages in Ardal County, representing 30% of the total, were selected as sample villages for this study. Data analysis was carried out using the statistical method of Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) and Smart-PLS software. The findings indicate a low level of social capital within the studied villages, with an average value of 2.3. The Kendall correlation test demonstrated a significant relationship between the independent variables (social awareness, social participation, social trust, and social network) and sustainable rural development, with Azizabad and Alikoh villages showing the highest correlation. The bootstrap test results based on t-values confirmed the significance of the relationships between the research variables. Notably, social network and social cohesion exhibited the highest t-values and correlations. The social dimension, with a statistic of 30.466, displayed a stronger connection to sustainable development compared to other dimensions. Through investigation and assessment of direct and indirect relationships within the model, it was revealed that, according to the villagers, the social networks variable had the most substantial impact on sustainable development with an effect coefficient of 0.360, while social awareness had the least influence. Path analysis further indicated that the components of social capital could predict 0.90% of the variations in sustainable development within the region.