Objectives: We will try to put the theory of social capital under an experimental test as the dominant fact in society and also ask the question: is this theoretical approach able to explain the existing fact in the field of social participation in Iran or not? Method: The analyzing method is a combination of library and field method, which in field study, citizen’s population of ages 15 to the upper, inhibited in Tehran were examined with the use of Kokeran formula, and 653 samples were selected among them. The data collected and analyzed with the use of questionnaire and with SPSS software and the use of descriptive and inferential statistical methods. Findings: social participation as one of the component of social capital, in ultimate analyze, is favorable in micro level but because of unsuitable fields in macro level, such as centralization, pessimism about the government’s functions and…, we can not expect the formation of social participation among people Results: we can not see reliability between citizens and the government’s system, and this point, caused the objective aspect of social capital not to form, social interaction, and finally social participation as one component of social participation, won’t be accomplished.

Objective: Social capital is one of the concepts in social sciences which during the short time, less than two decades, not only has been populared in academic environments as a scientific term, but also it could arrive into the level of policy-making. The importance of the concept is up to high level that there is a special act about social capital in the fourth program of economic, social and cultural development. Also, social capital is called as an desired characteristic in the document of Iranian development for the year of 2025. But, how is the situation of social capital in the Iranian society?This article, that is extracted from a survey research with a provincial approach and carried out in 2006, try to answer the question. Method: The main target of the study is measuring and ranking of social capital in 20 townships of Isfahan province. The data are gathered by interview based on a standardized questionnaire. The sample size are 4739 cases who have been selected on the basis of a quota method by sex, age group and region. Finding and Results: The results have revealed that in some subdimensions such as institutional trust, trust towards family members, friends and acquintances, security feeling, social participation and social mediation are in better situation than the others that consist generalized trust, the new pattern of participation and civil engaging of citizens in social life. The most important result shows that Isfahan city, as the center of the province, accompanied by city of Khomeinishahr are located in the lowest rank of the social capital hierarchy in comparison with other townships.

Objective: In the new social welfare, issues of social capital have been important and are very necessary because today not only social welfare can not simply available and can not be guaranteed by direct economic and material components, but in addition the resources of social society including social capital of different groups of people must be mobilized. Several experimental findings are emphasized on the importance of social capital at promoting level of development and welfare of communities. Studies show that the areas or countries with the relatively high storage of social capital (according to generalized trust and civil commitment) obtain higher levels of growth compared with the societies with lower trust and low civil commitment. In this study , the collective social capital approach in which social capital is defined as collective assets that leads to the effects and the consequences through orientation to collective (Putnam theory) due to it’s authenticity to the subject of research, approved as the theoretical framework in relation of explanation and analysis of social welfare situation. In this research social capital , as Putnam defined , is studied as a collective asset. Therefore, conceptual elements of social capital considered as a set of cognitive and subjective dimensions which formed social trust and social norms in the behavior in social network which totally formed the social capital components. The average scores of these three components has been considered as social capital scores. Also in relation of social welfare, the combination of individual’s social welfare (Bentham theory) that their indicators proposed by social statistics center of Euroup, approved for measurement in this research. The general hypothesis is that: social capital has a positive impact on social welfare any higher amount of social capital leads to higher amount of social welfare. In addition to the general hypothesis , some other hypothesis as especial forms of relationships between variables such as individual trust, generalized trust, institutionalized trust, social solidarity, cooperation, social support, formal participation, informal participation, amount and variety of relationships are measured. Method: The methodology of this research is survey and questionnaire is used for data gathering . Statistical community of research are all households residing in Tehran and statistical unit of the research is the head of family. Sample size are 299 cases that selected by cluster sampling. Findings & Results: The results of research as generally indicate the approval of hypothesis and research expectations about the role of social capital in increasing of social welfare. As results of the statistical analysis show the social capital has positive impact on social welfare that is , any higher amount which social capital may be, the rate of social welfare will be higher. Also all the indices considered for social capital(such as trust, social norms, and social networks) have a positive impact on social welfare these results are consistent with Putnam theories. The research shows that some indicators of social capital which have better situation in research community have a more relationship with traditional aspects of society such as religious informal participation and charity affairs and some indicators that are consistent with modern life such as modern social capital (institutional trust, generalized trust, solidarity and formal participation) are not in a desirable situation.

  Intordaction : Religion and its concepts have been a main as well as unique source in producing social capital. The development of social capital, as the raw material for a civil society, depends on certain variables including religion and religious culture. In spite of numerous researches on social capital and its factors, there are few systematic studies undertaken to examine interrelationships between degree of religiousness and social capital at the individual level. Therefore, number of questions about the role of religion in social capital formation has remained unanswered. The purpose of present study is to examine interrelationships between the degree of religiousness and social capital.

  Method: Data for the study comes from a structured questionnaire administered by a face-to-face survey interview. The study has been a cross-sectional survey of a random sample of adults aged 15 year- old and over in the city of Najafabad, Isfahan. The sample was selected through a multi-stage cluster sampling technique among 244 respondents.

  Findings: The findings show that there is no significant difference between men and women, single and married, employed and unemployed regarding the degree of social capital. Also, there is a significant and direct relationship between religiousness and social capital.

  Couclusion: The results of the study have been on the same wavelength as some theorists such as Durkheim, Putnam, Fukuyama and Coleman, suggested a direct association between the degree of religiousness and social capital.

Method: This study was conducted by descriptive method and ex-post facto design.  Data were collected from 408 citizens whose age was 20 years and older, and they all were from Guilan province. Samples were selected using multistage cluster sampling method. Measurement tools were: Adult Trust Scale; Multidimensional Perceived Social Support Scale; Norm of Reciprocity Scale; Social Network Index; Social Responsibility Questionnaire; Sense of Empathy Questionnaire; Revised Citizen Participation in Decision Making Questionnaire; Organizational Transparency Questionnaire; Awareness of Cooperation Methods and Level of Cooperation Questionnaire. 

Findings: Significant differences between individuals with poor, moderate, and high helping in terms of social trust; social support; social networks and ties; norm of reciprocity; norm of social responsibility; sense of empathy; belief in not involving citizens in the decisions of the welfare organization; citizens' awareness of cooperation methods; belief in the lack of transparency in the performance of the welfare organization; and altruistic behavior was observed. 

Discussion: Inadequacies in social variables act as risk factors for reducing cooperation with the welfare organization. Therefore, it is necessary to take intervention measures to strengthen psychosocial variables in order to improve the level of cooperation of citizens.