Middle-East Journal of Scientific Research 8 (4): 846-850, 2011 ISSN 1990-9233 © IDOSI Publications, 2011 Analysis of Human Development of Villages Based on Global Index, A Case Study: Kelardasht County, Chalus City in Mazandaran Province, Iran Masoud Mahdavi Hagilooi and Mansoure Rafinezhad Department of Geography, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran Abstract: In modern world and in the age of globalization, villages are safe desirable places for leisure time and relaxation. Therefore, attention to villages means life revival and return to Mother Nature. This research investigates three human development indices, namely life expectancy, literacy and per capita income. From 19 residential villages of Kelardasht County, three villages (Tabareso, Telochal and Kolmeh) were selected based on random sampling and studied. According to environmental and geographical capacities and the antiquity of these settlements, it was expected to have a high level of human development in villages, but due to the lack of management and rural planning, many changes happened in physical, economic and social structure, which made it hard to return to an optimal status. As a result, based on ecological condition of the region and national development planning, it was decided that the “multiple” rural tourism approach would be the best to promote human development. This research aims to analyze human development of the study villages according to global indices. The nature of present study is descriptive and analytical by means of library and field data. Key words: Literacy % Rural settlements % Rural planning % Human development % Life expectancy INTRODUCTION Nevertheless, it has been proven that many of these strategies have no comprehensive application for the rural In the process of globalization of villages, the third atmospheres. In order to moderate population migration, world villages are affected by internal and external factors; bring welfare and prevent the destruction of renewable that is due to lack of proper management and its and nonrenewable natural resources; it is necessary to set constituent elements [1]. The consequences were the up a rural plan which can provide suitable mechanism. immigration of villagers to cities, inefficiency of services In order to renovate the structures of the urban and and finally economic depression in rural area [2, 3]. This rural societies and eliminate duality in their status quo, it decline has resulted in cultural poverty, social and is essential for the rural planning to have a thoroughly political restrictions [4]. It is known that in 1955, the understanding of the geographical situation and its theory of economic growth was developed by Lewis [5] history as well as the political interventions (whether who turned to rural planning and set four main goals domestic or foreign) and the dominant structure in line including the creation of job opportunities in villages, the with national development [17]. promotion of standard of living in villages paid attention Walmsley has believed that the primitive and rural to economic and social lag. Finally, destruction of societies required opportunities to improve themselves beautiful and natural landscapes of the villages and through hard work. In many areas, tourism as a preservation of the beauty of villages are prevented [6]. development strategy can be promoted by the societies In the past two decades, many geographers [7-15] [18]. were interested in rural issues which have been influenced Development can be traced in a long-term actual per by several theories and perspectives such as behaviorism, capita income [19]. In the third world countries, analysis of systems, political economy, actor-network and improvement in financial condition and standard post-structural theories. It should noted that political of living of the thickly populated groups may create economics had considerable impacts on rural rapid economical growth [20]. In fact economical developments [16]. growth improve life and boost production. Corresponding Author: Masoud Mahdavi Hagilooi Department of Geography, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran. 846 Middle-East J. Sci. Res., 8 (4): 846-850, 2011 The positive growth may end up more production, Tabareso, Telochal and Kolmeh, which were randomly increase life facilities such as housing, hygienic and selected. From each of these villages, 45 households educational facilities and employment [21, 22]. (about 10% of village population) were chosen as the The most outstanding economic and social theorists sample size for the economic index and the whole villages who possessed some creative ideas of human were selected as the index of hope for life and education. development including economic growth and global and Then based on world human development index, the sustainable development [3, 17, 23-25]. collected data were analyzed. According to Weber [26], it is necessary to extend social and cultural activities and develop the social and RESULTS cultural self-governed institutions for cultural progress and promotion of human values. In the late 1990s, The study region was the central rural district of Huntington, et al. [27] followed issues of human Kelardasht, which is located in Chalus County, development with democracy and people’s direct Mazandaran Province, in north of Iran. Its coordinates are involvement in politics [17, 19]. Inglehart [28], used human 36°29'51"N51°8'59"E. The central rural district of development as a point for criticism, evaluation and Kelardasht consists of a plain which is three kilometers theories for development especially the human wide. The total area of Kelardasht is 600 square meters. development [28]. The center of Kelardasht is called Kordichal village. Most Straussfogel [29] mentions such variables as the of the villages are located at foot of the mountains and so death rate in children, the literacy rate in adults and life are in the cold areas. According to Iranian Statistics in expectancy from the first year of life. The common year 2006 [32], there is a population of 11999 including features of the definitions for economic and social people of the urban area. It has a growth rate of 1.36 per development include the following indices: production year. The total populations of present study in the growth, health and hygiene promotion, the growth rate of villages were 8402 with 2401 households. This district has hope for life, expansion of literacy or reduction in 30 areas and 19 rural settlements [33]. illiteracy, increase in communications, promotion in the The development and regional-national impacts on rate of per capita income and relative welfare. rural structure in this area can be categorized into 3 The first definition given by the United Nations periods: [30]describes human development as "a process for the In the first period, in addition to Gil tribe, who were extension of people’s choices". Basically, these choices the first settlers in this region, there was a compulsory can be unlimited and different in different occasions. settlement of other tribes such as Kurds and Turks. There are, however, three essentials in any level of Furthermore, some parts of the land were allocated to development which are as follows: those immigrants as fief and this action resulted in I. Having the opportunity for a long and healthy life; intensification of exploitation of natural resources [34]. ii. receiving education and iii. having access to the The French geographer de Planol [35] who has necessary facilities and instruments to reach the two main believed in two ever-growing pressure factors, which lead goals; that is, a reasonable life. If these three choices are to imbalance between population and resources in this not available, many other chances will remain inaccessible area. One of them is population and the other is the need [31]. to utilize forest [35]. However, the mental (quantitatively immeasurable) The second period started from the first half of the indices of human development such as self esteem, 1960s which witnessed the global development of the human rights, the right to choose one’s own destiny, love villages and agricultural or green revolution. The for fellow humans and sympathy which have been put development project in Iran was considered as one of the aside these days cannot be analyzed quantitatively. priorities of known as White Revolution of Pahlavi II era. The result of this political reform and agricultural Methodology: This research is a descriptive-analytical revolution was large-scale planning, ignoring the approach by means survey in flied study. The method principles of management and supervision in the rural employed in this research is based on library and field level. The rights of the masters and landlords were sources. Furthermore, to enhance the accuracy of usurped, land was unfairly divided between farmers and findings, the interview method was also employed. The lack of control in preservation of the forests and ranches sample population includes three villages, namely were other consequences. 847 Middle-East J. Sci. Res., 8 (4): 846-850, 2011 In the third period, political changes followed by the The number of deceased people (which is only Islamic Revolution in 1979 gave rise to a new wave for the available based on tombstones) is as follows: in Tabareso, opportunists to destroy and usurp the rural natural 26 people; the life span was 77.5; however, women had an resources. This was followed by the propaganda of the average life span of 53 years. In Telochal, 67 people; the greedy capitalists to buy and sell land and change the use average life span was 63.5 and in Kolmeh, 96 people and of the rural productive areas. The villages near the main the average life span was 64. road were transformed into cities and other villages which Access to education includes the level of were far were left unnoticed. The consequences of the education of the adults and the rate of enrollment in farming land sale cannot be restricted to the reduction in all educational levels.