Explaining the Right to Rural Theory in Iranian Rural Development Programs

Purpose- This study evaluates the factors affecting the promotion of adaptation strategies (AS) in rural development programs from the perspective of the right to the rural area, which has been neglected in the existing literature. In such a way, the AS theory and its related components were developed innovatively. To address this research gap, the present study aimed to investigate the factors affecting the emergence of adaptive behaviors in development programs among Iranian villagers.Design/methodology/approach- Method: This study employed a multivariate analysis utilizing structural equation modeling (SEM). Data collection was conducted through a questionnaire, which was subsequently analyzed using SPSS and SmartPLS software. The target population comprised all specialists engaged in rural development in Iran. To determine an appropriate sample size, statistical power analysis was performed using G*Power software. The study’s sample consisted of ۱۴۴ specialists—including academic, executive, and managerial professionals—drawn from the nine spatial planning regions of Iran. Participants were selected via a multistage sampling approach, ensuring an empirically representative and balanced distribution across these regions.Findings- The study's findings, following the classification of AS, initially revealed that the development plans examined were plagued by significant incompatibility. To robustly validate these results, SEM was employed to assess the explanatory power of the framework and rank the predictors. The results indicated that factors such as a healthy environment, spatial justice, sustainable livelihood, self-determination, and Maintaining Socio-Cultural Authenticity positively and significantly influence the selection of adaptive strategies.Practical implications- The results of this study reveal the dynamics and complexities of adaptation strategies based on the application in development programs to improve the theory and practice of rural development. The results of structural equations showed that these influential factors accounted for ۸۴.۴% of the variance in AS adoption under the rural entitlement theory, which is a very high rate. These findings provide solutions to increase the effectiveness of development program strategies in community-based contexts and, consequently, improve the adaptive behavior of Iranian villagers and farmers.

کلیدواژه ها:

Right to Rural ، Adaptation ، Environmental sustainability ، Structural equation modeling ، Community-led