JOURNAL OF RURAL RESEARCH
Year:2017 | Volume:8 | Issue:2|Papers Count:12

Community-based management of rural communities is of high importance and priority, as it facilitates development transition period of a region. Accordingly, it is incumbent upon all beneficiaries to turn it into a reality. Reinforcement of social capital, especially its structural characteristics, entails more its tangible aspects and enables actors to communicate effectively with one another. Appraisal of structural characteristics of bonding and bridging social capital of rural microfund committees was carried out in the present study in an attempt to establish rural community-based management in Ali Abad Hashtsad Metri village as a part of the project of local communities empowerment. Trust and participation ties were investigated both prior and after project implementation by applying network analysis questionnaire and direct interviews. It was found out that network ties and social capital increased after project implementation. Once a project is accomplished, institutionalization, sustainability, trust and participation transfer within the network are enhanced. Thus, by further reinforcement of social capital through trust building and encouraging users to participate, the way is paved for community-based management.

By understanding the consequences and costs of failure of rural entrepreneurs, we can be prepared for the potential failure in these businesses and avoid a social economic crisis in the villages. Therefore, the purpose of this descriptive study was to investigate and analyze the cost and impacts of failure of rural entrepreneurs in Kermanshah County. The study population comprised all failed entrepreneurs in Kermanshah County (N=110). Research samples were randomly selected using the Krejcie & Morgan Table (1970), (n=86). To collect data, a researcher-made questionnaire was used. The results show that the loss of income, personal debt, low budget, sudden decline in social status, low self-esteem, sense of stigma, feelings of sadness, blame of others as well as feeling of remorse and regret are the main costs that most entrepreneurs will endure after business failure. Regression analysis shows that variables of gender, financial status, entrepreneurial experience, employment of other businesses, participating in entrepreneurship courses, failure culture, optimism, and self-confidence are effective in reducing the cost of failure of rural entrepreneurs. The findings of this research can be useful for empowering and preparing small- and medium-sized enterprises for survival and development and strengthen the adaptability of entrepreneurs, creating proper environment for learning from failures and errors, providing scientific and practical solutions for policy making for development and sustainability of small- and medium-sized businesses and preventing them from turning into a crisis.

Handicrafts, especially carpet, are among non-agricultural activities that provide employment for many people, especially among tribes and villages. The main objective of the study is to investigate the problems of rural industries development in Zarrin Dasht County, one of the centers for producing carpets and gabbeh in Fars Province. The research method was qualitative and the relevant data were collected through interviews. The statistical community comprised villages active in carpet and gabbeh weaving in Zarrin Dasht County. Using snowball sampling method, 21 experts in carpet and gabbeh have been selected as the study sample from 3 main producer of carpet and gabbeh (Mesjian, Dary Shor, De Nou villages). The obtained data were coded and analyzed through grounded theory and using MAXQDA. The research results showed that the major barriers to the to develop carpet industry in Zarin Dasht County from the perspective of carpet weavers was a governmental institute that has affected the social, economic, cultural, and environmental barriers.

The most important challenge for security in the border regions of the country is unemployment and locals’ dissatisfaction of economic activities. This problem makes people to earn money through all kinds of fake and informal jobs. One of the fake activities is the growth of the informal cross-border trades (smuggling). The aim of this study is to compare the economic, social and physical effects and consequences resulted from the expansion of the informal economical activities and its different reflections on the development of rural settlements located in the commercial area of Dehsheikh in Fars Province and Gachin in Hormozgan Province. This study is an applied research with cross-sectional design. Then data on the area and the subject were collected through surveys (questionnaires, observations and interviews). Based on Cochran formula, a total of 156 and 160 questionnaires have been completed in rural areas of Dehsheikh business district and Gachin village, respectively. According to Friedman, the average number of each 3 variables in Dehsheikh village is almost identical and have an almost identical distribution. However, the averages of the indexes of Gachin Village have a big difference with each other in such a way that economic indicators with an average score of 50.142 has the most influence and the social and physical indicators with the average scores of 35.4675 and 33.9935, respectively, had the least influence.

Skill and creativity are among the most important qualities in the development process of entrepreneurship, and they are especially important for rural women communities. Entrepreneurial skills of women in the labor market and their participation in socioeconomic activities have turned into key indicators of human development. This study investigates the entrepreneurial skills of women in rural areas. This is an applied research conducted with a descriptive-analytical design. According to studies conducted in central district of Fariman County, the study sample was calculated as 209. The collected data were fed into SPSS and GIS and employed in Gray relational analysis. Of seven skills studied in this research, the women were the most skilled in management and the least skilled in technical aspects. Besides, there is a moderate to strongly significant and direct correlation between entrepreneurial skills and personal variables. According to the results of Gray relational analysis, three villages of Qaleh-no in Fariman County, Ashgabad and Sangbast with the highest Gray relational degree were in better conditions in entrepreneurial skills than other sample villages.

The industrialization of the villages is widely recognized as a dynamic lever for rural development. Creating jobs, diversifying the rural economy, and reducing socioeconomic inequalities are the primary goals of industrialization of the countryside. Most research studies on the effects of rural industrialization have two main features: first, quantitative feature, and second, checking the economic effects (employment and income). Besides assessing the economic and environmental impacts of industry in the countryside, other effects, especially social impacts, should be evaluated in the short- and long-run. Therefore, in the present study, the socioeconomic and environmental impacts of petrochemical industry development in Imamzade Ebrahim and Saeedabad villages have been studied by qualitative method. This is an applied research. We used individual interviewing techniques, focused group discussion, and field observation for data collection. Also the obtained data were analyzed by thematic analysis method. Based on the research findings, introducing industries into the rural areas has led to positive effects such as low unemployment for rural residents, rising incomes of the villagers employed in the petrochemical industry, and the beneficial effects for some locals directly and indirectly. In addition to the above outcomes, some adverse effects are seen in villages such as the negative attitude of the local people toward introduction and establishment of new industries, displacement of native people due to the residence of some nonindustrial workers in the region, the emergence of new sociocultural issues due to the presence of new people in the area, development of environmental problems, and the rural youth's reluctance to engage in traditional activities.

Nowadays, one of the most important issues facing Iranian villages is the outflow of young population from villages. Thus, this research aimed to examine people’ motives to leave or stay in their home place. The survey method was used in this study. The study population consists of 15-30 years old rural youth of Osku and Hashtrud Districts, East Azerbaijan Province. The sample size was 800, 400 for each district. Young people living in rural areas of Osku and Hashtrud districts were selected through multi-stage cluster sampling method. Geographical location, distance from the district, livelihood and population were the criteria considered for the selection of the clusters. The results indicate that social and economic factors such as education, income, employment, marital status, housing, living status, and having migrant people in the family or hometown have an important role in the leaving or staying. Analytical results of this study also show that the quality of life, place dependence, and place identity can contribute to the staying of rural youth.

Handmade carpet weaving has been one of the important off-farm activities and livelihood sources of Iranian rural households. The government has tried to cover self-employed and home-based carpet weavers under the insurance policy to support them and their households, in facing problems such as death, work related casualties and disablement, as well as their retirement. However, a high proportion of these producers have not covered by this insurance. The purpose of this paper is to analyze challenges facing these producers to adopt and use "the carpet weaving insurance". The study was conducted based on a mix methodology of case study and survey in 23 villages located in Zanjan County in the north west of Iran. In the case study design, research techniques such as document analysis, focus groups and semistructured interviews were utilized through the participation of 90 rural handmade silk carpet weavers and carpet market actors. In the survey, a sample of 265 rural handmade silk carpet weaver households were randomly selected for structured interviews. The results showed that 85.3% of the households and the weavers were not covered by the carpet insurance. The proportion of weavers being covered by the insurance was different in terms of the location of their villages. The distance between the rural areas and Zanjan City, the center of the province, had a negative impact on introducing and adopting the insurance. In isolated rural areas, the dependency of rural households' livelihoods on carpet production is much higher than other rural areas, but this isolation has affected them by reducing their insurance coverage. The rural carpet weavers have three important challenges in order to be covered by the insurance.

The branding of every tourism destination is based on its environmental characteristics and unique features, in other words, environmental quality; because optimal environment quality underlie the formation of a positive sense to tourism destinations and eventually develop tourism. Explaining the environmental quality and consequently branding for rural tourism destination help create an enjoyable and memorable experience in the minds of tourists and will result in tourist's loyalty and ultimately attract more tourists and visitors to the tourism boom in the region. Thus, identifying environmental quality factors contributes a lot to branding and finally marketing and development of tourism destinations. Given the importance of this issue, this study has undertaken to identify and validate the environmental quality of Oramanat ethno-cultural region to branding for its tourism destinations. In this study, qualitative thematic analysis method was used. Initially by purposive sampling method, 29 interviews (12 interviews with beneficiary local people and 17 interviews with tourists) were conducted. Then, the results were analyzed with MAXQDA. To validate the results and increase their reliability, a quantitative method was used such as Exploratory factor analysis. Based on the results of the interviews and the completed questionnaire, 5 dimensions and 22 categories for environmental quality related to branding were identified in the Hawraman region. They are as follows: natural dimension (with 4 categories), socio-cultural dimension (with 7 categories), economic dimension (with 1 category), physical dimension (with 5 categories), and institutional dimension (with 5 categories).

Sustainable Land Management (SLM) represents the integration of agricultural, environmental and socioeconomic factors, and has a large impact on crop production and food security of farmers. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between sustainable land management and crop productions, as well as its role in the food security of farmers. Based on statistical population, 514 rural household farmers live in eastern Miyankooh. Of them, a sample of 217 households were selected. The data collection tool was questionnaire. For data analysis, single-sample t test, correlation coefficient V Cramer and Spearman correlation were used. Results show that land management, plowing perpendicular to the slope, creating the paragraph above ground and using different fertilizers and agricultural products have the greatest impact on increasing yield. In relation to the method of land management and food security, the findings show that among the top five land management practices, three techniques of crop patterns, increase soil fertility and water resources management, had the highest relationship with food security of rural households and farmer. They have access to safe and healthy food due to the quality of land and high efficiency. Therefore to enhance food security and increase investment in this area, we should provide more support services to farmers, as well as take measures to further cooperation in the field of sustainable land management for farmers to be done.