Aim: In recent years, social capital has been increasingly viewed—especially in rural development studies—as a key factor for achieving development goals. As various opportunities for generating and strengthening social capital emerge, the potential for rural development also increases. Accordingly, this study examines the spatial distribution and spatial patterns of social capital in the rural settlements of Ardel County.
Materials & Methods: Accordingly, first, social capital indicators in the sample villages were examined using a questionnaire. This research is applied in terms of its purpose and utilizes a survey approach for data collection. Additionally, it is a case study with a descriptive-analytical and correlational design. In this research, both documentary (library) and field methods were used to collect information. The TOPSIS model was used to rank and develop the sample villages, and the global Moran, High_low, local Moran, and Hot_Spot indices were used to analyze the spatial pattern of sample villages based on the social capital index.
Finding: This means that the distribution of capital at the village level is random. This claim was confirmed based on the value of the global Moran index, which was equal to -0.041. The results of the local Moran, High-Low, Hotspot, and Hotspot indices also indicate this.
Conclusion: The analysis of the spatial pattern of social capital showed that the distribution of social capital among the selected villages in Ardal County is random. This suggests that investment at the village level is also randomly distributed. The distribution of villages in terms of social capital is heterogeneous in different parts of Ardel County, and there is no clear demarcation of villages based on the amount of their social capital.
Innovation: One of the most important innovative and applied aspects of the research is the use of spatial analysis in examining the effects of social capital on rural development.