Functions and consequences of Nazr in rural community: Fouman city villages case study

Social security is one of Iran's rural community needs and it is a prerequisite for rural development and we have always had problems for its comprehensive establishment in rural community. In the present study, with a deep understanding of the community and giving priority patterns, values and attitudes of people, we found that traditional resources and particularly religion can be considered as one of the sources that facilitates rural development and creates a comprehensive social security. In the present study, Nazr has been introduced as one of the supporting sources of social security in Islam and by using the qualitative approach of "grounded theory”, we tried to identify and introduce Nazr as a supportive product in the rural social security system and recognize the consequences and possible functions of Nazr as a supportive product in the rural community. The findings of this study show that the activities related to Nazr that have a supportive function produce an effect on the two groups of “Nazr receivers" and "Nazr givers". Special conditions such as "relief", " attaining the goals", "relaxation" and "fulfilling the needs", create the "balancing" phenomenon .This phenomenon is reinforced through intertwining strategies. These strategies include "having a belief", “purity,", "benevolence", "commitment", "responsibility" and "asking for help". The consequences of using these strategies are that supportive Nazrs produce a result and that the under studied subjects become willing toward such Nazrs and this creates affinity between Nazr receivers and Nazr givers also increases the social status of Nazr givers as they please the Nazr receivers and it also keep the social status of Needy people. The strategies of balancing phenomenon are under the influence of confounding conditions such as "religion", "financial situation", "neediness", " understanding the situation of the needy", "the structure of rural society," "past learning" and "experiencing "and these develop in certain areas.