درخت حوزه‌های تخصصی

Purpose- Informal settlement is largely rooted in migration, particularly influenced by parameters such as poverty, lack of expertise and specialization, type of occupation, cultural conflict, illiteracy, ethnic and cultural identity. Most of the residents of these areas are forced to live in ghettos and slums due to factors such as lack of access to jobs in the city coupled with poverty and lack of specialization. Heterogeneous and dispersed constructions without observance of technical principles and urban planning with narrow, meandering alleys, running sewage in the alleys and unsavory sanitary condition are among the adverse consequences of informal settlement. Therefore, the main purpose of this study is to investigate the key factors affecting rural migration with emphasis on the issue of informal settlement in Shirabad neighborhood of Zahedan. Design/methodology/approach- The research method is descriptive-analytical and data collection was conducted by a survey. In the first step of the research, a list of primary factors involved in the spread of migration to informal settlements was identified as research variables using existing documents and previous researches. The variables were analyzed based on two local communities (all heads of households in Shirabad neighborhood) and expert questionnaires. Descriptive statistics and exploratory factor analysis in SPSS software as well as cross-impact analysis model in MicMac software were used for the analysis of data. Findings- The results suggested that four key factors of drought and lack of water resources, reduced productivity and devaluation of the agricultural sector, inappropriate infrastructure in rural areas and wage gap between rural and urban areas play a key role in shaping rural migration and intensifying informal settlement.

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- 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.