Meta-analysis of studies about poverty in rural societies of Iran

The present study is a meta-analysis of different studies about poverty in rural societies of Iran. The main issue in the present study is to see what the main theoretical approaches are and variables in these studies and to what extent the participatory approach has been brought into focus and what issues have been neglected. The methodology of the present study for collecting data is documentary research. Seventy theses and researches about poverty were investigated and among them thirty two theses were chosen as the statistical society of the study. Some of the important variables of the present study are: poverty definition, data collection and analysis of data, trend of poverty in rural societies, and effective factors, results and strategies for poverty reduction. Data analysis of this study was based on content analysis. Based on the findings of the study, most of the present data have been obtained through secondary data of the statistical center of Iran and the have been mostly analyzed via quantitative methods and econometrics and the emphasis, about rural poverty, has been on monetary and financial aspects. According to research results, poverty should also be analyzed from participatory and human aspects. In most of the studies this aspect has been neglected. Moreover, in the these studies, topics like effects of poverty on various social groups of the rural society, poverty alleviation policies and their effects and also macro phenomena such as globalization on rural poverty have not been fully evaluated.