https://jrd.ut.ac.ir/ The Journal of Community Development (Rural-Urban) en daily 1 Mon, 22 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0330 Mon, 22 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0330 https://jrd.ut.ac.ir/article_105599.html https://jrd.ut.ac.ir/article_106461.html The present study aims to sociologically examine the sense of social exclusion among the residents of Zahedan city. To develop the theoretical framework, the research draws upon the perspectives of key scholars (Max Weber, Frank Parkin, Hilary Silver, Amartya Sen, Michel Foucault, and Pierre Bourdieu) as well as various schools of thought in the field of social exclusion. The sample size consisted of 400 participants, selected through multistage cluster sampling. The findings indicate that the level of perceived social exclusion among the citizens of Zahedan is relatively low to moderate. Among the examined variables, social closure (β = 0.29), social powerlessness (β = 0.23), and capability deprivation (β = 0.04) were identified as significant predictors of social exclusion. Collectively, these three variables explain 17 percent of the variance in the dependent variable (social exclusion). Based on the results, a considerable portion of the population can be classified as disadvantaged, and the factors of social closure, powerlessness, and capability deprivation (as emphasized by Robert Chambers) have contributed to creating a “poverty trap” for these individuals. Therefore, to prevent the continuation of this trend, it is recommended that greater attention be given to economic improvement and strengthening social cohesion.Based on the results, a considerable portion of the population can be classified as disadvantaged, and the factors of social closure, powerlessness, and capability deprivation (as emphasized by Robert Chambers) have contributed to creating a “poverty trap” for these individuals. Therefore, to prevent the continuation of this trend, it is recommended that greater attention https://jrd.ut.ac.ir/article_103168.html The act of charity is crucial​ due to its significance in the formation and development of charitable centers, resilience, trust, and social solidarity and cohesion. It is a prime example of altruism, cooperation, and participation. This study examined the variations in charitable behavior at the national level.The research method involves the secondary analysis of data from a national survey that examines the inclination of Iranians to donate to charity. This census was conducted in 1402 with a statistical population of over 10,000 individuals in 31 provinces of the country. The type of research validity is theoretical and formal validity.The data indicates that there is a substantial disparity in charitable behavior. Urban residents engage in a greater amount of voluntary charitable activity than their counterparts in rural areas and provincial centers. The results also indicate that, in contrast to expectations, rural residents are more likely to exhibit benevolence than their counterparts in urban and provincial centers.We are unable to accept approaches that assert that behaviors become more individualistic, more universal, less volunteer work, and more financial and monetary relationships as we transition from a human society with less material and moral density to a human society with more material and moral density, as evidenced by the results of this research. In order to comprehend and scrutinize the disparity in philanthropic behavior, it is imperative that we transcend the dichotomous stereotype of rural-urban. https://jrd.ut.ac.ir/article_106358.html The transition toward participatory management of dam water resources cannot be achieved merely through the establishment of formal or symbolic participatory mechanisms; rather, it requires a transformation in institutional arrangements, a redefinition of the role of the state, and the strengthening of local institutional capacities within the water governance process. Adopting an institutional analysis approach and drawing on the theoretical frameworks of water governance and institutional theory, this study examines the institutional and social prerequisites of such a transition in the rural areas of Sanandaj County through a secondary analysis of qualitative data. The data were derived from previous studies, policy documents, and existing qualitative findings and were re-examined using an interpretive–analytical approach. The findings indicate that despite the structural weakening of local institutions in recent decades, informal rules, social networks, and local trust-based mechanisms continue to possess latent capacities for regulating relationships among water users. Recognizing these capacities and integrating them into formal governance frameworks can contribute to enhancing the legitimacy, effectiveness, and sustainability of dam water resource management. Overall, the findings underscore the necessity of adopting an institutional and social perspective on dam operation as a prerequisite for sustainable water development in rural areas. In sum, this research shows that achieving participatory operation management of dam water resources in rural areas necessitates a comprehensive institutional reconfiguration of water governance. Without this reconfiguration, even the most advanced participatory mechanisms will fail to produce sustainable outcomes. The analytical framework presented in this study can serve as a basis for rethinking dam operation policies and for advancing future research on participatory water governance in Iran. https://jrd.ut.ac.ir/article_104545.html In societies where social cohesion is founded on established norms (organic solidarity), individualism is frequently analyzed as a consequence of the transition from an agricultural economy to an industrial economy and increased specialization. However, in societies like Iran that have undergone modernization through technological advancements and lifestyle transformations, individualism occupies a distinct position.The present article, through the analysis of writings, conversations, and interviews with socio-cultural specialists, investigates the development of individualism in order to examine its atypical and disordered condition. The research findings indicate that, on the one hand, individuals within nuclear families tend to move beyond the collective values linked to traditional life and the extended family, as well as religious values associated with communal living, instead prioritizing economic values or focusing on goals such as survival and progress. The notion of economic advancement in contemporary society can shape perceptions in a way that leads individuals to view others as rivals or impediments to progress. This is where individuals either uphold socio-religious values or align themselves with the “other” when that value or person is perceived as a source of benefit. Individuals in the modern world, when social norms are upheld during economic engagement, inevitably seek to foster organic social solidarity and social cohesion while simultaneously shaping their own identities. Conversely, in the absence of participation in economic production and when social rules are disregarded, individualism tends to become abnormal and disordered https://jrd.ut.ac.ir/article_106357.html Public controversies surrounding large-scale dam projects in Iran have become a focal point of intense disputes between the state and its critics (including civil society and independent experts). These controversies constitute an arena for a "discursive struggle," where fundamental views on development, the environment, and national interest compete. Focusing on the highly controversial case study of the Chamshir Dam, this article seeks to deconstruct and comparatively analyze the argumentative discourses of the state and its critics. It aims to demonstrate how each side strives to define "reality" and gain legitimacy in the public sphere by constructing different narratives and argumentative logics. Adopting a qualitative approach and the method of Argumentative Discourse Analysis, this research employs a hybrid analytical framework based on Maarten Hajer's "storyline" concept and Norman and Isabela Fairclough's "practical argumentation model." The findings reveal the emergence and confrontation of two irreconcilable storylines. The state's discourse promotes the storyline of "Chamshir Dam: The Key to National Development and Progress," in which the core issue is defined as the "need for resource management," and the dam is represented as a solution for economic development and a display of national authority. In contrast, the critics' discourse constructs the storyline of "Chamshir Dam: An Impending Disaster and a Battle to Save the Land," which frames the issue as a "multifaceted crisis" (encompassing environmental and governance aspects). The Chamshir Dam controversy reflects a deep discursive and value-based gap between the state and segments of Iran's civil and scientific society, demonstrating that concepts such as "development," "national interest," and "science" have themselves become sites of contestation. https://jrd.ut.ac.ir/article_103363.html The present study examines the performance of public health centers in the Tehran health system, taking into account the significance and necessity of public participation in the health system to enhance the desirability of access, effectiveness, and equity of its policies.The qualitative method was employed to conduct this research, which involved interviews with 35 health officials and public health centers in Tehran Municipality.The results indicated that the centers, which were established in accordance with the two prerequisites of public participation in health system policymaking and the enhancement of social capital in neighborhoods, are still a component of Tehran Municipality’s bureaucratic apparatus. However, the characteristics of being public and local are less evident in their operations. The narrative of the centers’ performance is a narrative of their failure to satisfy the assigned mission and expectations in terms of performance. On the other hand, their performance was superior at the outset of their establishment during the municipal administration, when the concept of transforming the municipality into a social institution was introduced. However, this performance began to deteriorate in subsequent periods, and the centers have encountered five categories of issues and problems since the inception of their operations: economic and financial, social and cultural, managerial and executive, physical and equipment, and legal and statutory.The research findings, which are based on theoretical readings and empirical background, suggest that the concept of health centers as a means of socializing the health system at the local level has been impeded by the risk of unsustainability, inefficiency, and minimal participation in relation to the situation and performance of health centers. https://jrd.ut.ac.ir/article_106356.html the present study aims to provide a sociological explanation of the role of marginalization in the formation and expansion of the phenomenon of child labor in the city of Karaj. This research adopts a qualitative approach and employs the grounded theory methodology based on the Strauss and Corbin model. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 11 managers, officials, planners, and experts from institutions related to social, urban, and supportive domains in the city of Karaj, and were analyzed until theoretical saturation was achieved. Data analysis, conducted through the three stages of open, axial, and selective coding, led to the identification of a paradigmatic model indicating that the phenomenon of child labor, within the context of urban marginalization, results from the interaction of a set of causal, contextual, and intervening conditions. The causal conditions include structural inefficiencies within political, economic, social, cultural, and demographic systems, manifested in poverty, unemployment, social inequality, weak policymaking, and widespread migration. These conditions are intensified within a contextual framework characterized by social inequalities, limited family awareness, and restricted access to urban facilities, and are reproduced through intervening factors such as weak institutional interventions, informal employment, and family tensions. The findings indicate that marginalization not only facilitates children’s entry into the labor market but also leads to the sustained reproduction of this phenomenon through institutional inefficiency and inadequate social support systems. Accordingly, the adoption of strategies such as equitable distribution of urban services, strengthening supportive policies, empowering families, and implementing neighborhood-based interventions can be effective in reducing the phenomenon of child labor in marginalized areas of the city of Karaj. https://jrd.ut.ac.ir/article_105113.html This study seeks to identify and articulate effective strategies for combating corruption within the decentralization process and to develop an institutional framework for establishing transparent, accountable, and efficient Islamic city councils. In Iran, Islamic city councils serve as the principal interface between citizens and the governance framework, playing a pivotal role in fostering political trust, reinforcing institutional legitimacy, and enhancing the quality of public services. The research is of an applied nature and utilizes a qualitative, descriptive-exploratory methodology. Data were gathered through library research and documentary methodologies,supplemented by thematic analysis. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 purposively selected participants, including former members of Islamic city councils and subject-matter experts, in accordance with the principle of theoretical saturation. Findings indicate that without coherent and well-integrated institutional structures, the risk of corruption at the local level may surpass the anticipated benefits of decentralization, thus jeopardizing its intended purpose of fostering democratic governance and administrative effectiveness. Achieving efficient and corruption-resistant Islamic councils necessitates a fundamental revision of the legislation governing the organization, responsibilities, and elections of Islamic councils in Iran, as well as the procedures for selecting mayors and village administrators. These reforms must be founded upon the development of comprehensive institutional frameworks that incorporate essential principles such as effective supervision, transparency, accountability, civic engagement, ongoing education, institutional responsibility, and the rule of law. Aligning these principles with national anti-corruption policies can mitigate institutional fragmentation and the proliferation of corrupt practices across governance levels, thereby strengthening structural coherence and integrity within local administration. https://jrd.ut.ac.ir/article_106462.html Over the past 3030 years, undeniable transformations in the spatial configuration of modern metropolises have engulfed the urban lifeworld worldwide—or, more accurately, through a globalized process bridging the Global East and West. The consequences of this new socio-geographical trend of urbanization, along with its concrete impacts, profoundly manifest in everyday life, the planning and design of the built environment, and disproportionate urban growth. The present study aimed to qualitatively investigate the peripheral urbanization of Tehran, employing a qualitative methodology based on Grounded Theory. To this end, in-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 1818 suburban residents of Tehran and 88 university professors and researchers specializing in urban studies and development. The participants were selected through purposive and snowball sampling techniques. During the data analysis phase, the coding paradigm yielded 345345 open codes, 3333 sub-categories, 88 main categories, and one core category. The findings reveal that Tehran’s urban periphery, driven by the quest for the privatization of leisure, has led to the reproduction of a manipulated and modernized nature in the city’s outskirts. By shifting the environmental paradigm from traditional villa construction to modern landscaped gardening, this novel process has steered place-based development toward the phenomenon of peri-urban gentrification. The analysis of the findings highlights a spatial contradiction; while the integration of the leisure economy with the local economy has generated positive socio-economic outcomes for the suburbs, at the macro level, it has exacerbated environmental unsustainability and degradation through scattered development (urban sprawl) and infrastructural inefficiency. Ultimately, the interpretation and synthesis of these contradictions underscore the urgent need to transition from a state of passivity toward the adoption of integrated and preventive physio-spatial and environmental strategies. https://jrd.ut.ac.ir/article_101792.html AbstractIntroduction: Collective conflict is a challenging social phenomenon that has existed in local communities, especially rural ones, for a long time. Due to its ethnic diversity and the prevalence of immigration and exile throughout history, Iran has always been a suitable environment for this phenomenon. The present study was conducted to identify the causes and origins of local conflicts and rivalries between the two villages of Baghkhavas and Aliabad Qashqai, located in Varamin County, and its effects on the development of the local community. The present study also seeks solutions to control and reduce this phenomenon between the two villages.Method:This research's approach is qualitative and based on Strauss and Corbin's Grounded theory. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 36 local informants and members of local organizations to collect data until theoretical saturation was reached.Finding: Analysis of the study data and the paradigmatic model shows that marginalization, cultural confrontation, intra-group prejudices, property and ownership disputes, acquisition of symbolic capital, and retrospection have been effective factors in collective conflict. In response to this phenomenon, the residents of these two villages have adopted strategies of competitiveness, resource blocking, negative bargaining, differentiation, migration, and patronage. The consequences of these strategies have been destruction, disruption of social capacities, reduced participation, lack of institutional trust, and institutionalism.Result: Research findings show that the main strategies for controlling local conflicts and competitions in the Baghkhavas and Aliabad Qashqai are changing agricultural practices and types of products, seeking institutions, and expanding the traditional-ritual interaction pattern to other areas. https://jrd.ut.ac.ir/article_106463.html The water crisis in Tehran represents a multifaceted challenge rooted in governance deficiencies, underscoring the need for a transition toward networked and participatory models to enhance urban resilience. This study undertakes a comparative quantitative analysis of urban water governance networks in districts 4, 10, and 22, employing social network analysis to evaluate collaborative ties among 24 key organizations and stakeholders. Findings reveal that the prevailing governance regime across all three districts is fragmented. The networks exhibit low to medium density (28.6%–46.4%) and moderate concentration of power, lacking the cohesion and coordination required for integrated crisis response. Such structural weaknesses undermine organizational resilience and limit adaptive capacity. At the micro level, municipal bodies, the Water and Wastewater Company (Abfa), and crisis management agencies form the network’s core, occupying central positions and bridging structural holes. Their brokerage role is vital for information transfer and coordination. However, low reciprocity of ties (33.3% in District 4) highlights the dominance of one-way communication and weak mutual trust, further constraining collaborative effectiveness. Overall, the fragmented structure diminishes the socio-hydrological system’s ability to adapt to change. To enable a successful transition toward effective polycentric governance, strengthening the brokerage role of core actors is essential. Enhancing network density and reciprocity, while connecting isolated nodes such as universities, can foster greater cohesion and trust. These measures would improve the system’s collective capacity to respond to crises and adapt to long-term environmental challenges, thereby advancing urban resilience in Tehran and offering lessons for other megacities facing similar governance deficits worldwide. https://jrd.ut.ac.ir/article_101791.html The fallacy of the benevolence of governments is the foundation of numerous perceptions of housing policy. From this wording, it seems that the government is constantly trying to solve the housing problem. Mehr Housing is the sole initiative that has been practically and extensively dedicated to providing housing for the lower echelons of society in the past few decades, particularly following the war. This article is a critical narrative of the Mehr Housing Project. The primary inquiry of the article is whether the Mehr Housing Project has met its anticipated objectives. This project has been founded on the following: official reports, the examination of programs and laws, the archives of newspapers, news agencies, and websites, the contents of books and articles and previous research, visual sources such as films, the perspectives of officials and experts, and, most importantly, the opinions of the people. The article concludes that Mehr Housing for the poor is under the control of governments that have placed their faith in capitalism and the free market. It has failed to achieve any of its intended objectives, including reducing inequality in the enjoyment of adequate housing, preventing the indiscriminate increase in land and housing prices, reducing rents, preventing the increase in marginalization, and promoting social justice. Consequently, its applicants and residents throughout the country have experienced widespread dissatisfaction. The officials and supporters of this project did not consider the opinions of the people, as they had no involvement in the design and implementation of the project. Similarly, they were disregarded in the analysis and evaluation of the project. https://jrd.ut.ac.ir/article_104969.html In the village of Sular, there is an unwritten norm that prohibits the sale of land to non-natives. This rule is rooted in a network of ethical and social beliefs, to the extent that many residents regard land transactions as a form of “betrayal of the collective heritage.” The rule mentioned above is not restricted to land ownership by non-indigenous individuals; it also encompasses government ownership in development initiatives. What mechanisms have resulted in the perpetuation of this rule? This is the most critical inquiry. This investigation implements an exploratory, phenomenological case study approach. The underlying social contexts and concealed functions of the rule were elucidated through semi-structured interviews with 13 local actors, as well as field observation and informal conversations. The final analysis reveals that the prohibition of land sale is not a remnant of a static tradition, but the result of a new configuration of ethical relationships, power dynamics, economic pressures, and collective memory. In this regard, it may be considered a contemporary ethical institution that has emerged as a result of local resistance to market forces. Contrary to initial assumptions, this rule not only fosters solidarity but also, in certain instances, functions as an instrument of domination. The rule that forbids the sale of land to non-natives reflects the entanglement of collective conscience (Durkheim) and the embeddedness of the economy within the local community (Polanyi), yet it also serves as a tool of symbolic domination (Bourdieu). This regulation serves as both a safeguard of the village’s collective identity and a point of conflict between livelihood, ethics, and power. https://jrd.ut.ac.ir/article_104970.html This research aims to study the contexts of student academic dropout in border villages of Sardasht County, focusing on the socio-economic characteristics of the region. The secondary objective of the research is to identify the attitudes of students and families towards education and training.This research was conducted with a social interpretive approach and using the grounded theory method. The statistical population of local informants includes students, teachers, and parents in three border villages of Sardasht, including Qaleh-e-Rash, Biyoran, and Darmanabad. The sampling was purposive, and theoretical saturation was achieved after interviewing 24 people aged 15 to 40.By conducting open and axial coding stages, categories such as "poverty and resource depletion", "life instability and unstable strategies", "inefficient platforms" and "human capital crisis and value displacement" were extracted and finally the core code was explained as follows: Migration caused by structural poverty and its intensification through inefficient platforms (economic, institutional, educational) leads to educational decline and human capital decline in border areas. This finding showed that prioritizing immediate incomes (such as labor migration) due to the lack of sustainable productive opportunities has diminished the value of education among families. The instrumental and economic attitude of families towards education, which was formed based on the expectation of employment and income generation but was not realized, has caused students to drop out of school.Educational decline in the border villages of Sardasht is an acute and multifaceted problem that is rooted in socio-economic structural factors, especially the phenomenon of migration, and requires policy interventions that are tailored to the understanding of the local people https://jrd.ut.ac.ir/article_103169.html Sustainable entrepreneurship, as a key component of rural development, plays a vital role in the economic and social empowerment of local communities. Entrepreneurial development is confronted with a variety of obstacles in numerous rural regions, notably coastal regions.The objective of this investigation is to identify and analyze the obstacles and suggest strategies for promoting sustainable entrepreneurship in the coastal villages of Sari and Miandorud counties in Mazandaran Province, Iran. A mixed-methods approach (qualitative–quantitative) was implemented in this investigation. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 experts in the field of rural development and entrepreneurship during the qualitative phase. This process yielded a collection of critical barriers and potential strategies, which were subsequently categorized using thematic analysis. In the subsequent quantitative phase, a structured questionnaire was distributed among 60 local specialists, and the data were analyzed using a comparative approach to evaluate the perceived importance and implementation levels of the proposed strategies.The fundamental barriers to sustainable entrepreneurship in coastal villages were identified by the qualitative findings as seven primary dimensions. Based on the frequency of extracted codes, economic barriers ranked highest (44 codes), followed by infrastructural (22), support-related (17), psychological (12), cultural (11), policy and planning-related (9), and educational and informational barriers (8). In terms of strategies, three main categories were identified: non-material support, entrepreneurship education and promotion, and material/financial support. The Mann–Whitney U test results demonstrated a significant gap between the perceived importance and actual implementation of all strategies, suggesting a distinct disconnect between policy recognition and practical execution from the perspective of local stakeholders.This research accentuates the necessity of localized policy design, strengthened support and educational infrastructures, and the removal of institutional barriers, as it underscores the multi-dimensional nature of sustainable entrepreneurship development in coastal rural areas https://jrd.ut.ac.ir/article_103715.html Under the influence of the state-centered developmental discourse, the delicate ecological equilibrium between society and nature in Iran has been altered since the mid-20th century. This transition exacerbated exploitative resource utilization patterns and progressively removed resources like Lake Urmia from the policymaking process. Since the early 2010s, Lake Urmia has served as a “empty siginifier” of environmental crises, water governance failures, and identity-territorial threats. This situation paved the way for the emergence of a national demand that, during the 2013 presidential elections, was articulated through the discourse of “restoration” and institutionalized with the establishment of Urmia Lake Restoration Headquarters (ULRH) by the Eleventh Administration. The objective of this investigation is to examine the discursive logic of the ULRH and investigate the factors that contribute to its deficiencies and the challenges it faces in accomplishing its stated goals. Fairclough’s Critical Discourse Analysis and Laclau and  discourse theory are combined in this research. Interviews with two former directors of the Department of Environment, official documents, and pertinent media texts comprise the data. These were collected through theoretical sampling until conceptual saturation and analyzed using triangulation. Finding indicates that, despite the ULRH’s relative and temporary success in halting the Lake's complete desiccation and implementing certain infrastructural projects, the realization of full ecological recovery and sustainable restoration was impeded by a number of factors, including the absence of investment in alternative employment, the instability of farmers' livelihoods, the lack of articulation between the restoration discourse and broader socio-economic structures, and weak basin-scale governance. Ultimately, the restoration discourse itself perpetuated the dichotomy of “technological solutions vs. social realities” and failed to progress toward participatory governance. The study concludes that sustainable restoration necessitates the simultaneous articulation of water policy with welfare policies, agricultural transition, local participation, and policy alignment at the Urmia basin scale. https://jrd.ut.ac.ir/article_104709.html The present article offers a comprehensive, multilayered analysis of institutional frameworks, spatial planning strategies, and built environment attributes associated with land-use change in Shemiranat County. Consisting of two districts, three rural districts, and four cities—Tajrish, Lavasan, Oshan–Fasham–Meygun, and Shemshak—Shemiranat constitutes one of the most intricate peri-metropolitan regions surrounding Tehran. The main objective of this study is to examine the spatial patterns of land-use change and to elucidate the institutional, policy, and socio-political mechanisms responsible for these transformations by integrating quantitative spatial analysis with explanatory thematic analysis within a critical orientation. The analysis encompasses the past two decades (2000–2019) and projects future trends up to 2038, covering two 20-year periods. Applying a hybrid sequential–explanatory approach, the study initially identifies spatial patterns of land-use change through quantitative analyses and CA–Markov modeling; subsequently, it interprets the underlying institutional and policy mechanisms via explanatory thematic analysis of qualitative data. Spatial findings are synthesized with qualitative data obtained from semi-structured interviews, official document analysis, and field observations within a coherent analytical framework. The results indicate that the Lavasanat district has experienced the greatest extent of land-use changes; Rudbar Qasran has undergone linear expansion along transportation corridors and tourism areas; and urban Shemiran is characterized by endogenous densification and constraints on horizontal development. Institutionally, the absence of coordination among decision-making entities, conflicts of interest between local and national authorities, and ineffective regulatory frameworks have significantly contributed to the acceleration of land-use conversion in the region. Through the introduction of institutional power indices and policy scenarios, the article advances a framework designed to synchronize land policy, spatial governance, and natural resource conservation at the county scale https://jrd.ut.ac.ir/article_105334.html Water consumption in rural communities of Iran is not merely a biological or hygienic behavior; rather, it is deeply intertwined with cultural, social, and gendered structures. In this context, the concepts of shame, cleanliness, and social status play a decisive role in shaping consumption patterns. Focusing on the women of Rusem-Khan village, this study seeks to demonstrate how everyday practices related to water reflect moral values, social norms, and the gendered division of labor.This research was conducted using an ethnographic approach, employing participant observation and in-depth interviews with rural women. Data were collected over several months through field presence, direct observation of household activities related to water, and semi-structured interviews.Data analysis showed that women, as the primary managers of the household environment, are mainly responsible for activities such as washing courtyards, terraces, dishes, and clothes. These practices are not only responses to biological needs but also reflections of social and symbolic values associated with honor and hospitality. The gendered division of labor has placed the main burden of water consumption on women. Additionally, the type of building materials (cement or gravel flooring) plays an important role in the intensity of use. Another key finding was the contradictory awareness of women regarding the water crisis; although they were aware of water scarcity, cultural norms and social pressures undermined efforts toward water-saving practices.This study reveals that water consumption in the village is not merely a practical act but a cultural and social phenomenon constructed through the interaction of gender, morality, the body, and the household environment. Therefore, water resource management policies will have limited effectiveness if they fail to account for these cultural and symbolic dimensions.