The experience of developed countries, as well as those still in the process of development, demonstrates that the resolution of economic, social, cultural, and political difficulties—alongside the effective implementation of various planning initiatives—necessitates a scientific and objective understanding of the populations inhabiting these societies. In the absence of such knowledge, the execution of these programs is unlikely to succeed. The body of knowledge that assists planners and development agents in this regard is the "community-based development approach." Imported development models, in isolation, prove incapable of comprehending the needs and capacities of local communities, and their objectives frequently diverge from those of the people themselves. Given its sociological orientation and inherently interdisciplinary nature, this department can prove instrumental in addressing the challenges facing local communities, both rural and urban.

The experience of the Islamic Republic of Iran in establishing local councils in 1998 brought nearly 150,000 individuals into the processes of local policy-making and administration in cities and villages across the country. This considerable number of participants necessitates training and skill development in areas pertinent to local development, including:

Envisioning futures for local communities;

Mobilizing public participation in policy-making and governance processes;

Assessing capacities and appraising social assets;

Conducting social and cultural impact assessments of policies, programs, and interventionist projects.

Moreover, macro-level policies and programs, grounded in the imperative of preparing social and cultural annexes for civil and developmental projects, render the possession of expertise in social and local development an absolute requirement.

Principal Objectives of the Department

Understanding local communities and sub-national, micro-level units of development—such as neighborhoods and districts within cities and villages—within the framework of a popular development and bottom-up approach, with due consideration for the role of public participation in securing sustainable development, the social dimensions of interventionist development policies, schemes, and projects in urban and rural settings, and the significance of formulating development visions and programs in collaboration with local populations and communities.

Enhancing students' skills and competencies in identifying issues and topics related to local development; comprehending the theoretical frameworks and concepts employed in popular and bottom-up development approaches; collecting and analyzing data relevant to local development; evaluating alternative solutions to specific problems; making informed decisions and implementing them; and, ultimately, monitoring implementation and conducting post-execution social assessments of development policies, programs, and projects.

Augmenting students' skills and abilities in recognizing the variable social, economic, technological, legal, and policy conditions, as well as their implications for local development and for public participation in development programs.

Creating the necessary groundwork and fostering encouragement for students to engage in self-directed learning and pursue both personal and professional growth within the domain of local development, while simultaneously expanding the frontiers of knowledge and research within the framework of popular and bottom-up development.

Promoting local development and enhancing the efficiency and performance of local organizations through the utilization of capacities and social capital.

Transmitting knowledge and experience in community-based development to students.

Training specialized and up-to-date master's-level experts in the field of social and local development.

Cultivating scientific and specialized thinking within the realm of social and local development.

The Scientific Quarterly Journal of Local Development (Urban-Rural)

This scientific journal was established in October 2009 under the title "Rural Development," with the support of the department and under the editorship of the late Dr. Mehdi Taleb. Since 2015, it has continued its publication under the name "Local Development (Rural-Urban)."