درخت حوزه‌های تخصصی

Purpose- Social responsibility for environmental protection at all levels and strata of society is an issue that is explicitly emphasized in paragraph 14 of the General Environmental Policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the villagers as the main users of environmental resources are expected to take environmental responsibility without exception. The purpose of this study was to investigate and identify level of responsibility of environmental behaviors of villagers and determine social factors affecting it. Design/methodology/approach- In this research, the framework of social psychology was used and the research method was survey and cross-sectional. The unit of analysis is the rural individuals. The statistical population of the study is all residents of rural areas of Mazandaran province in 1398/2019. The sampling method of multi-stage cluster sampling was used. The number of study villages surveyed was 30 villages and the sample size was 536 people. The data required for the research were collected through a researcher-made questionnaire. Finding- The results showed that the level of responsible environmental behavior of villagers is at a moderate level. In addition, the results of multivariate analyzes indicate that there is a significant relationship between social psychological factors (religious beliefs, environmental values and environmental knowledge) and responsible behaviors towards the environment. In the final evaluation, it can be said that the modified model of social psychological factors seems a suitable model for studying factors affecting environmental behaviors in rural communities and can be useful as a model for conducting similar research in other rural areas of the country.

Purpose- Since the rural unemployment rate has increased and rural dwellers suffer from the shortage of the basic requirements of life due to the lack of livelihood sustainability, it is important to address the significant role of Sustainable Livelihood in rural areas, particularly, regarding female household heads or women with unfit providers. Therefore, the present study has aimed to examine the factors that determine the SL of the afore-said women who have the membership of rural microcredit funds in Ghaemshahr County.  Design/Methodology/approach- The data have been collected through a census with a sample of the female household heads and the women with unfit providers who are the clients of 30 microcredit funds in rural areas of Ghaemshahr County, Mazandaran Provice. (n=170). The data were collected through a researcher-made questionnaire, which was divided into two main sections of SL evaluation and the significant factors affecting the SL developed into 11 categories. The validity of the research tool was determined by the expert panels while the Cronbach’s alpha test determined the level of reliability. In order to analyze the data,the researchers employed SPSS25 and Smart PLS3 to obtain descriptive and inferential statistics.   Findings- The results of the current study indicate that the personality, economic, support/service and cultural factors, respectively, with the path coefficients of 0.361 and 0.344, 0.291 and 0.266 had positive impacts on the SL of the aforesaid women. However, the first two factors had the confidence interval of 99% while support/service and cultural factors earned 95% confidence interval. Moreover, the results of the structural equation indicated that the factor of support/service had more impact on these women’s level of SL than other factors.      Research limitations- One of the main limitations was the difficulty in identifying and accessing research population and the unbalanced distribution of microcredit funds in Ghaemshahr County.   Practical Implications- There are several strategies that affect the ever-growing SL of female household heads, including government-supported facilities and low-yield financial services with the aim of enhancing fast-growing job opportunities, encouraging creative ideas and activities and entrepreneurships in rural areas, certain specialties, professional marketing for rural products and guaranteeing their dealership.     Originality/value- The results of the present study can help the associated organizations and developers to focus on the accessibility and achievements of the predetermined objectives of the funds and financial services that address women’s activities -women financial services, especially,   the ones that creates fast-growing job opportunities. Given the current financial problems, the present study has aimed to improve women’s SL.  

Purpose- Currently he occurrence of recent droughts in Iran and the severity of its damage indicate the vulnerability of farmers. The economic-environmental damages and the resilience farmers to this incident are evident in diverse ways. Therefore, recognizing the resilience of the population influenced by drought can offer a tool to prevent life-threatening disaster in high-risk areas. The aim of this study was to evaluate the economic resilience of rural households to drought in plain of Kermanshah and answer the following questions. What is the extent of economic resilience of rural households in Mahidasht to drought? What are the most important factors affecting the economic resilience of rural households to drought? Design/methodology/approach- This is an applied research and a descriptive-analytical method along with library analysis and field surveys were adopted for data collection. The statistical population of this study consisted of 5081 households, out of whom 357 samples were selected according to Cochran's formula. Descriptive and inferential statistics (One-sample t-test) and structural equation modeling were used for data analysis. Findings- According to the results of t-test, the variables of vulnerability of villagers' property and assets (mean=3.99) and the impact of drought on the value of assets (mean=3.86) gained the highest average in terms of resilience. On the contrary, the two variables of ability to compensate (mean=1.67) and membership in cooperatives and agricultural companies (mean=1.67) had the lowest averages. Moreover, the test results of all four variables of evaluating farmers’ knowledge and awareness indicate a correlation between the independent variables (prevention, preparedness, reconstruction, institutional management) and the dependent variable (economic resilience). Therefore, it can be contended that the economic resilience of Mahidasht is fairly weak.

Purpose- In the hierarchical planning of central places, systematic and calculated settlement is based on the desired spatial system, and small cities play a major role in striking balance and equilibrium in the residential system. The role and function of this type of rural centers lay the theoretical basis for strategies of developing a balanced settlement model. The proponents of small towns point to importance of these settlements as service centers in rural development, stressing the construction of a cohesive settlement hierarchy and the effects of top-down distribution. According to their view, small towns are at the forefront of rural and regional development in terms of production and institutional structure, preventing the over-concentration of population and activities in large cities. It is an issue that has deprived these cities of proper economic returns and investment. Design/methodology/approach - In this study, the effect of Molkabad City on the spatial organization of rural settlements is investigated, and research hypotheses are tested using t-test, Wilcoxon, Kruskal-Wallis and WASP. Finding- Of the sample villages in various geographical areas located at varying distances, Derakht-e Sepidar Village has the highest Qi in WASPAS model and is ranked first, thus having the highest spatial development among the sample villages. It is true because this village is located in a plain area adjacent to a dirt road that leads to Molkabad City. In the same region, Razan Village has the lowest Qi in WASPAS model and is ranked last, mainly because this village is located on a plain, but far from communication routes. Further, this village is within the jurisdiction of Binalood Town rather than Molkabad or even the center of its county, Imam Taghi Village. In general, according to the results obtained from the WASPAS model, it can be mentioned that there is a slight difference between the first and the last village and the rate of spatial development in the studied villages is almost identical. That is, it is not pertained to the remoteness and proximity to Molkabad City.