The role of social capital in rural development based on the empowerment of local communities; Case study: Eshtivan Village, Bakharz County, Khorasan Razavi Province

Enhancing and capacity building of rural communities and organizations is one of the prerequisites for sustainable development. One of the effective strategies for sustainable rural development is the role of social capital. Social capital is the result of interactions between individuals, organizations, and institutions, based on trust and solidarity, facilitated through social participation and cooperation. The purpose of this research is to examine the dimensions of social capital (trust and social participation) in rural development for empowering local communities. In this research, the social capital of the community network in the village of Eshtivan is examined through completing a questionnaire for network analysis and conducting direct interviews with members of rural development subgroups. The research was conducted with a social network approach. Therefore, participatory workshops were held to mobilize social resources in the village, which in turn laid the groundwork for the formation of rural development subgroups. In order to achieve social empowerment, social capital components such as participation and trust among individuals need to be strengthened. Trust and participation links among 113 members in 11 rural development subgroups were examined using quantitative indicators of network macro-level, and the social capital of these subgroups was assessed at different stages before and after project implementation. The results indicate that the level of trust, participation, and social capital was average or weak before project implementation, but increased after the project was carried out. The speed of trust and participation exchange among individuals, as well as unity and cohesion among individuals, increased after the project implementation. In general, based on the obtained results, it can be stated that the social capital within the network of subgroups increased following the implementation of this project, and it can be argued that with the strengthening of social capital, the realization and enhancement of the capacity of rural communities has become possible.