Assessing the role of social capital in sustainable rural development with an emphasis on livability, Case Study of Chayparata High Rural Areas -Zanjan

The relative lack of mutual benefit and trust among local institutions, organizations, and social networks is recognized as an essential bottleneck for sustainable rural development and a prerequisite for the development of any society, especially rural communities, The expansion of social capital. Therefore, the present study sought to investigate the status of livability of villages in Chaiparad High District as an integral part of sustainable rural development dimensions and the role of social capital in promoting it. The present research is applied in terms of its descriptive-analytical nature and the method of collecting library and field information. Validity of the questionnaire was confirmed by experts and its reliability was confirmed using Cronbach's alpha (0.746). The statistical population is the villages of Chayparreh district with 1059 households and sample size of 283 households (according to Cochran formula). Random sampling method is simple. To analyze the data, a quantitative method based on descriptive and inferential statistics (one-sample t-tests, linear regression, path analysis) and the Topsis model were used. . The results of the research show that social capital components have a favorable situation in the study area. Also, the economic and social dimensions of livability are satisfactory, but the environmental component with an average of 2.736 and the negative-favorable difference is below the desired level. About 67% of the positive impact on rural livability has been influenced by social capital in the study area. So that the component of social trust with the coefficient of 0.578 was considered as the most effective component and component of social networks and institutions of -0.016 the least effect on rural livability. Also, the village of Qar-e-Bootha with the priority coefficient of 0.923 ranked first and the village of Gohlar (0.108) ranked seventh in terms of livability in the Chaiparat district.