Social Development & Welfare Planning

Abstract Abstract:
The aim of this study was to study the role of development programs on gender justice and the distribution of life opportunities in Qazvin women in 1398. In this qualitative study, thematic method has been used. The statistical population of the study is the content of six development programs in Iran and statistics and indicators related to the situation of women in Qazvin province. "," Women "and even the Arabic equivalent of" women "and" girls ". In this study, the content of six development programs was exploited. In order to analyze the data, the technical analysis method was used. In the first stage, 71 primary codes, in the second stage, 26 sub-themes and in the third stage, 6 main themes (health, education, socio-political, employment, culture and welfare and social support) were identified. Findings regarding the situation of women in Qazvin province indicate that the more we move from the first program to the sixth, the more legal material is observed with a gender approach. Although the realities of the development programs are inconsistent with the overall spirit of the program and in this respect, especially in the field of employment and politics, is contrary to the goals of the development program, but the achievements of women in education can not be Ignored.

Abstract Welfare justice is a core value of the social work profession and is emphasized in professional codes and social policy documents as a foundation for achieving social justice. However, the implications of different welfare approaches for social work interventions and the direction of social policy have been less systematically examined. This study analyzes welfare justice from a social work perspective and examines the implications of two welfare approaches: the residual and institutional approaches. The research used a qualitative approach and documentary content analysis. Data were extracted and analyzed from ten key international documents related to professional ethics in social work, social rights, and welfare policies. The findings identified five main themes explaining welfare justice: the perceptual gap between public understanding of social welfare and the structural reality of welfare systems; the multi‑level structure and mixed economy of welfare; the role of non‑profit organizations in delivering social services; the consequences of globalization for the emergence of new social inequalities; and the role of international institutions in welfare governance. The results indicate that institutional approaches, emphasizing rights‑based principles, inclusive social services, and governmental responsibility for public welfare, have greater potential to promote welfare justice and enhance the effectiveness of social work interventions. By proposing the conceptual model of “multi‑layered welfare governance,” this study contributes to discussions on social justice and welfare policy in social work.

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Abstract Knowing the dimensions of the government's capacity in Iran is very important because after the victory of the Islamic Revolution, the economic activity of the government has expanded for many reasons and this issue has caused inefficiency in various political and economic sectors of the country. The purpose of this research is to investigate the causes of government inefficiency. Iran is in the process of forming and supporting the independent private sector in the period from 2005 to 2013. In this research, documentary technique was used to collect data and causal analysis method (process tracing technique) was used to determine the effect of research variables. The results of the research show that the political structure created after the victory of the 1979 revolution, with the unequal distribution of wealth and the creation of rent among groups close to their own intellectual space, removed other social and political groups from the competition, and this elimination process gradually turned into political blockage. ended The political blockage created in the economic arena through factors such as the conflict of interests of certain groups, the distortion of laws and regulations, and the lack of transparency in the legal mechanisms of competition, followed and led to the formation of government monopoly and inefficiency.

Abstract Accessible tourism, a subset of sustainable tourism, focuses on creating equal opportunities for individuals with disabilities to access tourism attractions and services. This study aimed to identify a suitable accessible tourism hub in Shiraz and develop an operational plan for the inclusion of this group. According to the World Health Organization, approximately 1.3 billion people globally and, per Iran’s Welfare Organization (2019), over 11 million people in Iran live with disabilities, yet face physical, economic, social, and cultural barriers to tourism. Using a mixed-method approach (qualitative and quantitative), the study involved interviews with 15 experts, field observations, and document analysis in the historic Zandieh area (Karim Khan Citadel, Vakil Bath, Vakil Mosque, and Vakil Bazaar). Findings highlighted key barriers, including non-standard stairs, lack of ramps and tactile/audio signage, high travel costs, and discriminatory attitudes. The Zandieh area was selected as the proposed hub due to its concentration of historical attractions and potential for accessibility improvements. The operational plan was structured around five pillars: barrier assessment, accessibility policy development, infrastructure adaptation, design of accessible tours, and continuous monitoring. Additionally, preserving historical sites and collaborating with international organizations like UNWTO were recommended. This study positions Shiraz as a leading accessible tourism destination, offering a model for other Iranian cities.

Abstract The Great Seljuk era represents a period in which three intellectual and epistemic traditions—Persian, Islamic, and Turkic—coexisted within a unified system of governance and shaped the political, social, and cultural structures of the time. This study examines the reflection of social service thought in light of these intellectual traditions and seeks to explain how the plurality of these sources was manifested in the formation of the Seljuk model of social services. The research adopts a descriptive–analytical approach and uses the historical analysis method to examine advisory literature, Islamic texts, and the written Turkic heritage. The findings indicate that social service thought in the Seljuk era emerged from the interaction of these three traditions, each fulfilling a distinct function in its development. Islamic teachings provided the moral foundations of social services; the Persian experience of statecraft played the primary role in organizing administrative mechanisms and shaping social policy; and the Turkic political military heritage supplied the executive capacity necessary for implementing these policies. Despite these differences, a comparative analysis of the sources reveals that concepts such as social justice, public welfare, support for vulnerable groups, cooperation, and the maintenance of social order served as shared principles among these traditions. Together, they contributed to the formation of a multidimensional and coherent model of social services within the governance structure of the Seljuk state.

Abstract With the expansion of industrial activities and the growing expectations of local communities regarding the social role of business enterprises, corporate social responsibility (CSR) has become one of the most important mechanisms for promoting social sustainability and strengthening industry–community relationships. Nevertheless, developing effective CSR policies and aligning them with the needs and priorities of host communities remains a significant challenge. The present study aimed to develop a CSR policy model for Gohar Zamin Steel Company to promote social sustainability in Bardsir. An exploratory mixed-methods design was employed, drawing on the Walt and Gilson policy analysis framework. Qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews with experts in industry, management, policymaking, and local development and were analyzed using thematic analysis. In the quantitative phase, the perspectives of citizens and experts regarding CSR priorities were examined. The findings revealed that effective CSR policymaking requires simultaneous attention to four key dimensions: context, actors, process, and policy content. Furthermore, stakeholder participation, transparency, social trust-building, local needs assessment, and continuous evaluation emerged as essential requirements of the policymaking process. Based on the findings, a CSR policy model was developed that can, on the one hand, contribute to strengthening social capital, improving quality of life, and promoting social sustainability in industrial host communities and, on the other hand, enrich the literature on CSR policymaking and social sustainability, particularly in developing countries.

Abstract Elite migration represents a critical, complex strategic challenge for Iran, significantly threatening the country’s long-term capacity for sustainable development and national resilience. This study aims to identify and deeply analyze the long-term, cascading consequences of the continuing trend of human capital flight from a futures research perspective. The present study employed a robust qualitative research design based on the Futures Wheel analytical methodology to explore complex interconnected outcomes. The statistical population comprised subject-matter experts, from which a sample of fifteen individuals was selected through purposeful sampling. Data were collected using a researcher-developed Futures Wheel interview protocol, and the subsequent findings were processed using systematic qualitative content analysis. The results revealed several key first-order consequences categorized into scientific-technological, economic, socio-cultural, and governance domains. Major consequences include the decline of the national research system, technological stagnation, the rapid erosion of social capital, and the weakening of governance efficiency, with each factor triggering deeper subsequent impacts. The comprehensive findings clearly indicated that the continuation of elite migration operates as a dangerous systematic process and a negative feedback loop leading to the continuous weakening of the country’s productive structures. Consequently, this trend significantly limits the nation’s capacity to address future challenges and achieve its essential sustainable development goals in the long run.

Abstract This article asks why perceived insecurity continues to grow in societies with the most advanced welfare institutions, even as subjective well-being indicators improve. It addresses this paradox by reconstructing the relationship between three interconnected dimensions of welfare: institutional, experiential, and social-imaginary.

Methodologically, the study adopts a critical theoretical reconstruction approach. It proceeds through three steps: conceptual analysis of four key concepts (welfare, crisis, social imagination, and the possible), critical analysis of major welfare theories, and conceptual synthesis into a cyclical analytical model. The framework is evaluated through conceptual coherence, explanatory adequacy, critical consistency, and heuristic capacity.

The findings suggest that the four major paradoxes of the welfare state—freedom/dependence, decommodification/recommodification, poverty reduction/poverty reproduction, and minimal/interventionist state—stem primarily from neoliberal recommodification rather than from the intrinsic logic of the welfare state itself. These contradictions gradually erode collective imaginative capacity and reinforce social-imaginary closure.

The article further argues that rebuilding welfare requires the interaction of three complementary processes: institutional redesign, social reproduction, and the redefinition of welfare indicators. While redefining indicators is the most feasible short-term strategy, it remains limited unless accompanied by institutional and social transformation. The study concludes that the possible of welfare is not a ready-made policy model but a necessary—though insufficient—condition for any durable reconstruction of welfare, leaving its empirical realization to future research.

Abstract This study re-reads the First to Sixth Economic, Social, and Cultural Development Plans of the Islamic Republic of Iran to examine the pattern of representation of citizenship rights in the country’s major policy documents. Adopting a qualitative–quantitative approach with a dominant qualitative orientation, the study draws on an integrated theoretical framework based on Marshall, Turner, Taylor, and Kymlicka in order to analyze the civil, political, social, economic, and cultural dimensions of citizenship rights. The data were collected through content analysis of the development plans and examined through a priori categorization, coding, frequency measurement, and percentage analysis. The findings show that attention to citizenship rights in the development plans has not followed a coherent and balanced pattern, and significant differences exist among its various dimensions. In most plans, social rights, particularly education, welfare, employment, and social justice, have received the greatest emphasis, whereas civil, political, cultural, and economic rights have appeared in a more limited and uneven manner. The findings also indicate that the evolution of the plans does not fully correspond to Marshall’s expected evolutionary path or Turner’s model of multidimensional integration. Moreover, the apparent growth of the cultural dimension reflects the consolidation of an official identity rather than genuine recognition of cultural diversity. Overall, citizenship rights are represented in Iran’s development plans in a fragmented, discontinuous, and unstable policy pattern.

Abstract Abandonment of the elderly in hospitals is shaped by the challenges of aging, family developments, and shortcomings of the welfare and social support system. This research aimed to explain the process of abandonment of the elderly in hospitals and design a social work model based on the welfare and social support system approach. This qualitative study was conducted with a data-based theory approach and through semi-structured interviews with 27 people, including abandoned elderly people, family members, and experts in Guilan province, and the data was analyzed with systematic coding. The findings showed that abandonment is the result of the interaction of structural and economic barriers, erosion of social capital, inefficiency of support systems, and social welfare, which continues in the form of a process of "multi-level reproduction of abandonment of the elderly." The innovation of this research is to present a local theoretical-practical model of work based on empowering the elderly, comprehensive case management, and strengthening the support networks of the elderly abandoned in hospitals with respect to the welfare and social support system. As a result, this model provides a basis for developing intersectoral guidelines and promoting supportive policies for use by policymakers in the fields of health, social welfare, and social workers.

Abstract This study investigates how erotic capital among women in Damghan is activated within the city’s traditional sociocultural structure and how psychological and social capital contribute to its reinforcement. The research focused on women aged 15 to 75 and was grounded in Luthans’ psychological capital model, Putnam’s social capital theory, and Catherine Hakim’s conceptualization of erotic capital. Using an applied descriptive–analytical design, data were collected from 550 women selected through cluster random sampling across Damghan’s neighborhoods, employing standardized Likert‑based questionnaires with an overall reliability coefficient of 0.925. Descriptive results indicated that psychological, social, and erotic capital were at moderate levels. Path analysis demonstrated that psychological capital had a significant direct effect on social capital (β = 0.52), while social capital independently strengthened erotic capital (β = 0.48). When social capital entered the model, the direct effect of psychological capital on erotic capital decreased (β = 0.21), and the Sobel test confirmed the mediating role of social capital (Z = 4.92, p < .001). These findings suggest that within Damghan’s traditional context, psychological capital serves as the initial driver of women’s empowerment, yet the activation of erotic capital becomes possible only through legitimized social networks. Strengthening both psychological and social capital therefore provides an effective pathway for enhancing women’s social positioning and reducing cultural constraints.

Abstract This study aimed to explore the lived experiences of rural women participating in the microfinance scheme and to identify its impacts, challenges, and the participants’ policy demands. The study employed a qualitative approach and thematic analysis in rural areas of Damavand and Firuzkuh counties. Data were collected through 15 semi-structured interviews and were analyzed using MAXQDA software. The findings were organized into four main themes: the process of converting resources into agency and individual, occupational, and social outcomes; power-balancing outcomes; the gendered and place-based nature of employment challenges; and policy expectations. The findings showed that women’s access to financial and non-financial resources, in interaction with self-help groups and the support of facilitators, contributed to the development and strengthening of agency by creating economic opportunities, expanding social networks, increasing control over resources, and enhancing women’s capabilities. In some cases, this process also contributed to changes in power relations within the family ., The study makes three theoretical contributions. First, it extends the model by explaining the mechanisms through which resources are converted into agency and the contextual conditions that shape the conversion of agency into outcomes. Second, it demonstrates the role of self-help groups and facilitators as mediating and socializing mechanisms in the empowerment process. Third, it identifies a gap between policymakers’ problem identification and needs assessment and the actual demands of participating women.

Abstract The low-income housing policy in Iran cannot meet the housing needs of the target groups and the problem of housing aggravates by the day. Therefore, there should be a major revision in the process of policy-making, management and planning. The present research was carried out through one-to-one interviews, discourse analysis, and interpretive structural modeling, and 41 experts participated in this study. The policy of low-income housing has not been successful and it needs structural and radical modifications. In order to have a successful policy, 1. All sciences must be included in the process of policy-making, 2. Land policy-making must be modified, 3. Housing policy must be made in every province separately, 4. Main modifications are required in the tax and tenancy system, 5. The vacant houses should enter into consumption cycle. Generally, the present article describes the low-income housing policy and provides propositions to modify the content of the policies. The policy of low-income housing has not been successful and it needs structural and radical modifications. In order to have a successful policy, 1. All sciences must be included in the process of policy-making, 2. Land policy-making must be modified, 3. Housing policy must be made in every province separately, 4. Main modifications are required in the tax and tenancy system, 5. The vacant houses should enter into consumption cycle.

Abstract Security is one of the basic human needs, when people see the future as uncertain in terms of economic, social and personal life, they have doubts about security. This lack of feeling of security can be a stimulus for the movement of people. In this regard, the present study investigated this issue by selecting a sample of 376 young people from Abdanan city in Ilam province. The results show that in almost all aspects of the sense of security the young people studied have scored lower than the expected average. On the other hand, the average score of the tendency to migrate among young respondents is higher than the expected average. The results of multivariate analysis using linear regression show that by controlling background variables, all aspects of the sense of security have an impact on the tendency of young people to migrate, and the more insecure young people feel in different dimensions their tendency to migrate increases. However, it is worth considering that among the different dimensions of the sense of security, the sense of judicial security had the greatest impact on the desire of young people to migrate. Therefore, the sense of security related to migration should not be reduced to its economic dimension, but each of its dimensions can in turn affect the desire of young people to migrate.

Abstract Urban‌housing‌policy, as‌one‌of‌the‌most important areas of urban‌policy has always been considered by urban‌ planners and policy‌makers. While some populist‌policies of ‌development with the aim‌of maximizing adaptation to the conditions of target group, especially their income, have undergone theoretical ‌reductionism and in long run negative‌ economic, physical, environmental, political and socio-cultural effects; trying to reduce these effects is sometimes difficult or costly. In‌this‌regard, the "Mehr‌Housing Plan" has been reviewed in this article, which is seen in the strategic ‌housing-document of the country in 2006 and in paragraph "d" of the 2007 budget law, with emphasis on the low-income target‌ group. The ‌approach of present study is qualitative ‌based on the semi-structured researcher-made questionnaire by purposeful interview at the level of knowledgeable experts. Out of a total of 22‌main codes and 22‌identified related concepts, 15‌main categories have been extracted and analyzed in the form of 4‌main research questions According to the findings, in the Mehr housing project, 7 characteristics of populism that can be traced in the idea, implementation and trends of the project have been identified and explained. Emphasis is placed on results orientation and immediate effectiveness of plans, instead of quality orientation, as well as polarization and border and text conflicts.

Abstract As human and cultural capital, academic elites play an influential and positive role in societal development. One of today's social issues is the accelerating migration of elites, which the present study seeks to explore the barriers to the permanence of academic elites from the perspective of their lived experiences using a qualitative research method. The data collection tool was in-depth and semi-structured interviews, and the data analysis technique was thematic analysis. The basic, organizing, and global themes were extracted from the interview transcripts. The findings of the study show that "economic instability, job insecurity, relative deprivation, feelings of insecurity, decline in creativity and scientific production, weakness of the research position, lack of financial and welfare support, weakness of the recruitment and employment system, dominance of a quantitative perspective and lack of a differentiated perspective, bureaucratic problems and administrative system, lack of a desirable scientific and political environment, feelings of discrimination, cultural gap, Educational and cultural concerns for children, and family pressures and tensions" are among the barriers to the permanence of academic elites in Iran. The everyday life of elites is trapped in multiple inefficiencies in various realms, all of which constitute barriers to retaining elites. Moreover, elites are caught in a struggle between the dominance of economics in everyday life and the pursuit of non-material concerns. "

Abstract Awareness of the poverty situation in a society will be the first step in the planning process to combat poverty and deprivation and to review the results of previous programs and policies and possibly revise them. This study aims to provide a model to explain poverty in semi-urban areas of Khuzestan province. The method used in this research is data foundation theory. The participants of the present study are 24 poverty-related stakeholders who either live in the study areas or have work experience and administrative activities and interaction with these areas. Semi-structured interview technique was used to collect data and purposive sampling was used to select cases. After coding, ten main categories of data emerged, each of which was completely analyzed based on the text of the interviews. The emerging paradigm includes three dimensions of conditions, actions-interactions and consequences, which based on the results of research in the dimension of conditions including (lack of social capacity building, challenges of attracting investors, lack of accountability and transparency in the performance of public institutions in decision optimization). Implemented grievances and strategies, injustice in the distribution the dimension of action-interaction (Allocation of government facilities to real bority) Humanity and security of people Erosion of quality of life, crisis of knowledge aced and irregular development between regions - ruralization at the origin) formed د.

Abstract Happy City is a solution proposed by Charles Montgomery that can be used as a suitable approach to solve the challenges of depression and lack of happiness in cities. This article aims is identify the factors and components affecting the happy city in Babol city. The present research is applied in terms of purpose and descriptive-analytical in nature and combined methods are used in terms of research method. The information required for the study to identify the factors and components of a happy city was obtained by studying library and documentary sources and the fuzzy Delphi method. The statistical population of the study consists of urban science specialists and 28 people have been selected as the sample using the judgmental and available method. First, with library and documentary studies, 5 physical, economical, social, environmental and managerial factors have been identified along with 54 components affecting the happy city. Then, with the two-step fuzzy Delphi method, 42 components affecting the happy city in Babol city have been approved by experts. According to the results of Fuzzy Delphi, the component of urban furniture and artistic elements has the highest and the satisfaction of car ownership has the lowest impact on the happy city in Babol city. Also, physical and social factors respectively have the highest and lowest impact on the happy city in Babol city.

Abstract Public-private partnership is a suitable strategy for the optimal use of the capacities and capital of the public sector and the private sector, which ultimately leads to the provision of economical and socially beneficial services. Therefore, the present research was conducted with the aim of investigating the strategies for the development of public-private partnership in the sports sector; which is philosophically interpretive, exploratory, analytical, and practical in terms of purpose. Qualitative research method was carried out using the foundation data method with Glazer's approach; The statistical population was all experts related to outsourcing and privatization of sports in the country. The sampling method was theoretical. The data was collected by means of semi-structured interview and the criterion was the realization of theoretical saturation. Interpretive analysis using actual coding and theoretical coding was used to analyze the content of the interviews.The reliability of the interviews was achieved through reviewing and modifying the findings and confirming the coding of each interview by the interviewee. The reliability of the interviews was also confirmed by using the process audit and intra-subject agreement of 81%. The results of this research show the extraction of more than 69 primary concepts in the form of three main categories: "abilities required for the parties to the contract", "infrastructures", "marketing and motivating participation".

Abstract Achieving sustainable and comprehensive development depends on social participation, and it is necessary to pay attention to it and to emphasize it, because with its support, people can undertake their destiny and achieve specific and pre-determined goals.This research was conducted to sociologically investigate social participation and the factors affecting it in the less developed counties of Javanroud and Ravansar in Kermansha Province. The research method is survey (quantitative) and a questionnaire tool was used to collect data.The statistical population of this research is all citizens over 18 years old living in Javanroud and Ravansar Counties. The sample size for this research was 384 individuals who were selected based on multi-stage cluster sampling method. Pearson's correlation coefficent and multivarite regression were used to analyze the data.The findings of the research indicate the average level of social participation in the Counties of Javanroud and Ravansar and there is a significant relationship between the independent variables (localism, family orientation, marital status and gender) and the dependent variable (social participation).The results from regression analysis showed that independent variables ecplain a small amount of changes in dependent variables, and among the factors influencing social participation the variables of family orientation, local orientation, gender and marriage had the greatest impact respectively.