An analysis of cultural and social patterns of organized participation of local stakeholders network regarding the preservation and management of revised natural resources through Grounded theory (Case study: Eastern Taibi watershed forests, Iran)

Participation of local communities plays a significant role in preserving natural resources. The purpose of this study was to analyze the cultural and social patterns of local people´s cooperation in the preservation and management of renewable natural resources as well as the emphasis on internalization and findings on background conditions and causal factors affecting this. To this aim, the Grounded theory was used. The categories and theorems were constructed by means of three-step coding of the concepts. Sampling was used for a deep interview with the association of 32 subjects. Interviewees were composed of stakeholders and users of natural resources. The findings showed non-internalization is the hub of the study, which was due to focused decisions, the chaos of power structure in villages’ economy trading, the natural poverty of local people, the lack of social investment, social alienation, and tribal micro-cultures. Dominating endeavors of local communities in such conditions include asking for support and the development of subsidy-seeking spirit and ignorance. Each of these abovementioned procedures bears consequences, including non-cooperation of natural resources schemes, reducing sensitivity to declining natural resources and alienation to nature, excessive exploitation of natural resources, following individual interests in the face of natural resources. Based on the findings of this study, macro- and micro-scale factors in one interaction have resulted in the lack of organized participation of indigenous and local stakeholders in the conservation and management of renewable resources.