Components Of Social Capital Research Articles

Income Groups, Social Capital, and Collective Action on Small‐Scale Irrigation Facilities: A Multigroup Analysis Based on a Structural Equation Model

AbstractThis article examines whether relationships between social capital characteristics and the willingness of farmers to cooperate in collective action is moderated by the farmers' income level. We employed a structural equation model to analyze the influence of social capital components (social networks, interpersonal trust, social reciprocity, and social participation) on the willingness of farmers to cooperate in collective small‐scale irrigation in Guangling County, Shanxi Province of China. This analysis was complemented by a multigroup analysis to measure the potential variance effects across income groups. Our results show that low‐ and middle‐income farmers give more importance to the aspects of social networks, social reciprocity, and social participation, while high‐income farmers place emphasis on interpersonal trust and social participation. Accordingly, the willingness of farmers to cooperate for the different income groups was influenced in different ways in relation to the various social capital components. Therefore, social capital and income differences have complex effects on the willingness of farmers to cooperate. In this regard, our research provides an alternative way to understand the complex process involved in the formation of collective action under the presence of increasing economic heterogeneity in local communities.

Exploration of Social Capital Components Affecting Individual Perception of Happiness

이 연구의 목적은 사회적 자본이 개인의 행복 여부에 주는 영향을 파악하는 데 있다. 이를 위해 한국교육고용패널 조사 데이터(Korean Education and Employment Panel: KEEP)를 활용하였으며 ‘관계의 중요성, 모임 참여 정도, 일반인 신뢰, 여러 집단에 대한 신뢰, 환경에 대한 안전성’을 사회적 자본의 구성요인으로 보았다. 먼저, t 검증을 통해 행복한 집단과 불행한 집단이 보유한 사회적 자본에 유의미한 차이가 있는지 확인하였다. 다음으로, 로지스틱 회귀분석을 통해 사회적 자본의 각 요인이 개인의 행복 여부에 미치는 영향을 확인하였다. 분석결과, 행복한 집단은 불행한 집단과 비교했을 때 사회적 자본의 보유 정도가 모두 유의미하게 높은 것으로 나타났다. 다음으로, 로지스틱 회귀분석을 이용하여 사회적 자본을 구성하는 각 요인이 개인의 행복 여부에 어떠한 영향을 주는지 확인한 결과, 사회적 자본을 구성하는 모든 요인이 개인의 행복 여부에 유의미한 영향을 주는 것으로 나타났다. 특히, 여러 집단에 대한 신뢰가 주는 영향력이 가장 높은 것으로 나타났고, 다음으로 모임 참여 정도, 주변 환경 안전성, 일반인 신뢰, 관계의 중요성 순으로 나타났다. 연구결과를 토대로 학문적 의의 및 실무적 시사점을 제시했다.The purpose of this study is to examine how social capital influences individual perception of happiness or unhappiness. To do this, this research utilizes data from the Korean Education and Employment Panel (KEEP) and focuses on social capital composed of ‘importance of relationship, participation in group meetings, trust of general people and groups, and feeling safety’. First, this research utilized t-test to examine whether there are significant differences of social capital between group happiness and unhappiness. Results show that the happy group possesses a higher level of social capital than the unhappy group. Second, we used logistic regression to analyze the impact of each component of social capital on individual perception of happiness or unhappiness. Results show that all the factors of social capital significantly influence individual perception of happiness or unhappiness. In particular, ‘trust of groups’ shows the highest effect on individual happiness. The next highest components are participation in group meetings, feeling safety, trust of general people, and importance of relationships. Based on these results, theoretical contribution and practical implications were discussed.

Match quality, crowding out, and crowding in: empirical evidence for German sports clubs

AbstractVolunteering can be interpreted as a process of search. Using novel data from an online questionnaire study of volunteers of German sports clubs, we constructed a match quality index (MQI) that measures the outcome of this search process: the congruence of motives for doing volunteer work and the utility experiences derived from volunteer work. The MQI is higher on average for volunteers who would increase their work effort provided their sports club receives additional public subsidies or other volunteers increase their work (crowding-in effect). The MQI is also higher on average for volunteers who would increase their work effort in case other volunteers decrease their work (crowding-out effect). Furthermore, the MQI exhibits a positive correlation with volunteer satisfaction, labour supply, and volunteers’ confidence that they meet the requirements of their volunteer positions. The MQI is positively correlated with a bridging, but also with a bonding component of social capital.

Identifying the Components of Social Capital by Categorical Principal Component Analysis (CATPCA)

Social capital is a promising concept, widely used by social science researchers in analysing factors that contribute to the persistence of various economic issues. Unfortunately, the search for the best way to define, measure and classify the appropriate components that constitute this intangible form of capital is far from complete. Generally, data on social capital are qualitative in nature (mostly of the nominal and ordinal types) and encompass a large number of variables. This challenges the researcher to find the best way to reduce these data to a small number of composites to be used as a proxy of measurement in further analysis. Although principal component analysis (PCA) is considered an appropriate method and has been widely adopted in past studies, the requirement that data must be at the numeric measurement level, as well as the assumptions of linear relationships between variables, might hinder the use of PCA in working with social capital data. Categorical principal component analysis (CATPCA) is a more flexible alternative, suitable for variables of mixed measurement levels (nominal, ordinal, and numeric) that may not be linearly related to each other. Based on theory and past studies, questionnaires have been constructed and fieldwork has been carried out to gather data on social capital in Malaysia. Later, using CATPCA, 42 potential variables were identified to represent components of social capital. Final results indicate that after withdrawing 9 variables with bad fits, CATPCA has categorized the balance of 33 variables into four dimensions of social capital. These dimensions can be described by 5 principal components, which have been identified as influence of spirituality and culture, benefits from interaction with friend, trusted person during financial difficulties, benefits from financial aid receive and benefits from involvement in association. The first component represents culture/spirituality, the new dimension created by this study to address social capital from the perspective of a developing country. The second, third, fourth and fifth components are in line with the consensus reached by scholars and advocates regarding the elements or components of social capital. The second and fifth actually fall under the rubrics of the social relation/networks dimension while the third and fourth under trust and norms.

Match quality, crowding out, and crowding in: empirical evidence for German sports clubs

Volunteering can be interpreted as a process of search. Using novel data from an online questionnaire study of volunteers of German sports clubs, we constructed a match quality index (MQI) that measures the outcome of this search process: the congruence of motives for doing volunteer work and the utility experiences derived from volunteer work. The MQI is higher on average for volunteers who would increase their work effort provided their sports club receives additional public subsidies or other volunteers increase their work (crowding-in effect). The MQI is also higher on average for volunteers who would increase their work effort in case other volunteers decrease their work (crowding-out effect). Furthermore, the MQI exhibits a positive correlation with volunteer satisfaction, labour supply, and volunteers’ confidence that they meet the requirements of their volunteer positions. The MQI is positively correlated with a bridging, but also with a bonding component of social capital.

Beneficial Roles of Social Support for Mental Health Vary in the Japanese Population depending on Disaster Experience: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study.

The purpose of the present study was to assess the effects of social capital on mental health among the Japanese population with or without natural disaster experience. A nationwide cross-sectional study was performed in the population aged 15 to 79 years old. We collected data on psychological status, social capital, disaster experience in ten years prior to the survey, and socio-demographic information. We assessed cognitive social capital (perceptions of support, reciprocity and trust), social support (support from individuals in the community), and social participation (participation in social activities) as components of social capital. The study outcome was mild mood or anxiety disorder (hereafter mood/anxiety disorder), defined as the score of 5 or higher in the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6). Using logistic regression models, we tested whether each component of social capital was associated with mood/anxiety disorder with or without disaster experience. Out of 1,200 participants, 1,183 had available K6 score data and were considered. Among three components of social capital, only social support significantly interacted with disaster experience (p = 0.019). In the population without disaster experience, those with high social support were less likely to have mood/anxiety disorder (OR 0.45, 95% Cl 0.28-0.73); however, no such association was observed among those with disaster experience (OR 1.11, 95% CI 0.64-1.90). Thus, the protective effects of social support against mood/anxiety disorder vary in the Japanese population depending on disaster experience. The present study provides important insight into the role of social capital on mental health after natural disaster.

Business Networking and Social Cohesion among Business Community in Malaysia

Background: Business network is a social capital component that is owned and shared with the business community members. This network is examined through relationships and engagements between families and members of the business community as well as outside the community. Business networking and community collaboration are seen in the business community engagement with activities carried out and engagement in organizations that benefit the community. Business networks help to improve the efficiency of the business community by facilitating coordination and actions for mutual benefits as well as impacts on the business community. Objective: The objective of this study is to explore the dimensions of business networking used by the business community from various ethnic groups as well as to examine the impacts of business networking on the social cohesion in Malaysia. Results: The social relationship and trust among the business community are the dimensions and indicators in identifying the social capital in the business networking. There is a significant relationship between the business network and the social cohesion among the Malay, Chinese, Indian and Bumiputera respondents. The business networking did affect the respondents’ social cohesion in Malaysia. Conclusion: The dimensions of business networking in the social capital have helped Malaysian business community to remain their social cohesiveness with the support from government agencies in terms of marketing products and capital. Thus, the impacts of business networking on the social cohesion in Malaysia are positive and significant.

Ten Years After: Iceland's Unfinished Business

This study discusses the economic, political, and judicial aftermath of Iceland's financial collapse in 2008. It considers lessons learned, or not learned, with emphasis on unsettled issues concerning the distribution of incomes and wealth, banking, and politics. The study makes three main points. First, the measurement of income flows and living standards needs to be adjusted in two respects. Second, since the crisis, Ireland has made a significantly stronger recovery than Iceland in terms of per capita income. Third, Iceland's economic recovery from the crisis is marred by a visible deterioration of various components of the country's social capital.

СОЦИАЛЬНЫЙ КАПИТАЛ РАБОТНИКОВ РОССИЙСКИХ ПРОМЫШЛЕННЫХ ПРЕДПРИЯТИЙ КАК РЕСУРС МОДЕРНИЗАЦИОННОГО РАЗВИТИЯ

To date, a wealth of scientific material has been accumulated in the study of the phenomenon of social capital, its constituent elements, its influence on social practices and spheres of people’s activities. However, empirical studies of the social capital of industrial workers in Russian science are rare. This study is based on the materials of a formalized survey of workers at one of the largest industrial enterprises in Perm Krai. The article describes the influence of social capital on industrial behavior, as well as the initiation and promotion of innovations. With the use of cluster analysis, two groups have been distinguished within the staff of the organization, which significantly differ in the indicators of development of the main components (cognitive and structural) of social capital. It is shown that the first cluster consists of workers of high social capital. They are oriented towards mutual assistance, mutually beneficial cooperation, strong initiative at work, and are also included in broad social networks and maintain deep, trusting relationships with a relatively large number of colleagues. The second cluster of workers is characterized by low social capital. They are much less focused on collectivism, mutual assistance, and initiative. Moreover, they establish social interactions and deep social ties with just a small number of colleagues at work. Workers with developed social capital have better conditions for obtaining collective knowledge. They are more inclined to observe labor discipline, have stronger motivation to achieve high product quality and initiative to create innovations. High social capital contributes to the improvement of the professional efficiency of workers in the industrial sector, thereby exerting a positive influence on the modernization development of the organization.

The Impact of Entrepreneurial Temperament and Social Capital on Entrepreneurial Intention before Start-up

Purpose - This study aimed to investigate the effect of entrepreneurial temperament (ET) such as innovativeness, risk-taking, and proactiveness in entrepreneur's lifetime before start-up and the effect of social capital (SC) such as network ties and trustworthiness on entrepreneurial intention. Research design, data, and methodology - We examined the components of ET (innovativeness, risk-taking, and proactiveness) and components of SC (network ties and trustworthiness) through existing prior research and investigated the factors that affected entrepreneurial intention. The first hypothesis of this study was that entrepreneurial temperament will have a significant impact on network ties of social capital, and the second hypothesis assumed that entrepreneurial temperament will have a significant effect on the trustworthiness of social capital. Finally, the second hypothesis assumed that social capital will have a significant impact on entrepreneurial intentions. We collected 175 data using questionnaires for people who have not yet started a start-up. And we used the Structure Equation Modeling (SEM) to evaluate the collected data and to test the research model by the two step research procedure. Results - As a result, the innovativeness and proactiveness of ET have a significant effect on network ties and trustworthiness of SC, but the effect of risk-taking on risk-taking of SC is not significant. On the other hand, network ties and network ties of SC was revealed a significant effect on the EI. Conclusions - The implications of this article could be observed as mentioned in this paper. First, we found that entrepreneurial innovativeness and proactiveness are helpful in constructing SCs, but not risk-taking. These results demonstrated that ET of entrepreneurs is important factor in the formation of social capital. Second, the SC that an entrepreneur built before the start-up has a meaning for EI. In conclusion, ET was affected partially to EI mediated SC. It is academic in that ET and SC are independent from each other and have a mediating role between ET and EI, unlike those directly affecting EI. Although some important implications were found in this study, this study had some limitations and we hope that future research will be complemented.

SELECTED COMPONENTS OF SOCIAL CAPITAL IN RURAL AREAS OF ZACHODNIOPOMORSKIE VOIVODSHIP

Given the diversity of development of modern societies, which can not be explained by differences in access to three, until now key determinants of economic growth, more and more attention began to devote so. soft factors, which have become determinants of the development potential of economies. Social capital becomes the main subject of political and scientific discourse explanation generators socio-economic development in recent years. Social capital remains poorly understood and requires analysis. Studies of social capital should be done at the local level. This article attempts to present some components of social capital in the zachodniopomorskie rural areas. Attempt to showed a relatively low level of selected components of social capital in rural areas of zachodniopomorskie voivodship. This leads to the conclusion that social capital should develop now in order to secure economic growth in the future. Social capital building should be a priority now as a long term.

Differences in the effects of social network, trust, and co-operation on fishery co-management

This study empirically analyzed the effects of social network, trust, and co-operation on the fishery management consciousness of small-scale fishers in the Philippines. Data were obtained through a survey of 467 fishing households living in the municipalities of Altavas, Batan, and New Washington around the Batan Estuary in Central Philippines in 2012. Structural equation modeling was applied to estimate the relationship between the social capital variables and fishery management consciousness. Chi-square test and fit indices indicated that the model fitted the data in every municipality. The results showed that network variables had significant effects in Altavas, while trust and co-operation had significant effects in Batan. In New Washington, network, trust, and co-operation all had significant effects. A bridging network demonstrated a significant negative effect in Altavas, which suggested negative effects of social capital in the fishery management context. The differences in the effect of social capital components appear to depend on whether the type of management practiced by the municipality is top-down or bottom-up.

DAMPAK PERUBAHAN MODAL SOSIAL TERHADAP PERUBAHAN SISTEM PENGOLAHAN SAMPAH DI YOGYAKARTA

<p><em>Badran village is a village that used to have a reputation as thugs village and face the problem of garbage. Over time, this village managed to overcome the problem of garbage with 3R-based waste management program. This success is motivated by changes in social capital and leadership as a catalyst in the presence of co-operation. Forms of social capital that result in changes in the waste management system RW 11 Kampung Badran is trust, norms and networks. The third form of social capital and the existence of aspects of leadership affects the sustainability of programs aimed at managing waste in RW 11, Kampung Badran. For that we need further review of how the influence of the three components of social capital that is trust, norms and networks of the waste management system. The method used the descriptive qualitative method with the presentation of narrative technique. Based on the method applied was found that all three forms of social capital affects the implementation of waste management activities in the form of bank program garbage, composting and manufacture craft of garbage. Trust influence the process of knowledge transfer of cadres to the citizens, norms affect the implementation of programs and networks organizing effect on the acquisition of outside resources.</em><em></em></p><p><strong><em> </em></strong></p><p><strong><em>Keywords:</em></strong><em> </em><em>social capital, trust, norms, network, 3R</em></p>

Public Service Motivation, Organizational Social Capital, and Knowledge Sharing in the Korean Public Sector

ABSTRACTThis article investigates whether public service motivation (PSM) and organizational social capital predict knowledge sharing in the public sector. The hypothesized relationships in the proposed model are verified with the online survey data of 506 public employees in Korea. The test results show that the two dimensions of PSM (attraction to public service and commitment to public values) and the trust component of organizational social capital are both positively related to knowledge sharing in the Korean public sector, and that the associability component of organizational social capital is indirectly associated with knowledge sharing through its influence on PSM. The article discusses the ways that PSM and organizational social capital may contribute to overcome the social dilemma of knowledge sharing in public organizations. It also suggests that there is need for further research on the individual dimensions of the PSM construct.

Exploring the role of civilizational competences for smart cities’ development

PurposeThe purpose of this paper was to identify the main necessary competences for smart cities’ development. From their inception until now, smart cities are striving to clarify their identity and become better, and thus, smarter. The whole process is in many ways similar to the journey of a child in his quest of growing into a smart adult, with the help of parents and support from educators. But it is not easy to tell how we, as citizens, through civic, educational and governance structures, raise smart cities. What competences do we need? This was the main question for the present essay, generated from several theoretical and practical experiences.Design/methodology/approachIn this study, literature analysis, synthesis and theoretical inferences, for the smart city problematiques, and induction and exploratory qualitative analysis, for soft, civilizational competences, were used.FindingsThe main conclusion is that the literature still associates the smart city especially with its hard dimension, the highly developed and intelligent technologies, including information and communication technologies (ICTs), despite a growing number of studies dedicated to the soft, human and social capital component. The intangible, soft component – the human actor – plays an equally, if not even more important role, through mechanisms affecting all classical dimensions of smart cities (smart economy, people, governance, mobility, environment, living). Civilizational competences, soft skills or human-related characteristics of cities strongly influenced by culture (at national, regional, organizational and individual levels) are crucial for the development of smart and competitive cities. Civilizational competences are grouped into four categories: enterprise culture, discoursive culture, civic culture and daily culture. If we want to make our cities smart, we need to develop these competences – first define them, then identify their antecedents or influence factors and measure them.Research limitations/implicationsThe study has several limits. First, the exploratory nature in itself, with many inductive and abductive suppositions that will need further testing. Second, the literature selection has a certain degree of subjectivity owing to the fact that besides the common, classical theory of smart cities, the authors were particularly interested in rather heterodox opinions about the subject, which lead them to the inclusion of singular or isolated points of view on narrower issues.Practical implicationsThe findings of this exploratory conceptual essay could be used for further testing of hypotheses on the relationship between civilizational competences and smart cities’ development.Social implicationsLocal and regional administrations could use the results to increase civil society’s involvement in the development of smart cities.Originality/valueThe study points out some new connections and relations for the smart city problematiques, and explicitly suggests relating the development of smart cities to the development of civilizational competences, as a complex category of factors going beyond the unique dimension of “people” or “human and social capital” from the smart cities literature. It is an exploratory outcome, generating new research hypotheses for the relationships between smart city development and culture-related factors grouped under the “cities” civilizational competences’ label.

The expanded scientific and technical human capital model: the addition of a cultural dimension

The original scientific and technical human capital (STHC) model (Bozeman et al. in Int J Technol Manag 22(7/8):716–740, 2001) has been applied in many different research policy studies over the past decade, yielding multiple applications for evaluating the capacity and career development of engineers and scientists. Despite increased use, the model could benefit from further conceptual development so as to be applicable to a wider variety of issues pertaining to capacity building and career development. Of particular importance, the original STHC model does not explicitly address various cultural issues related to gender, race, socioeconomic status, nationality, and disciplinary culture, all factors generally viewed as important to both scientific career trajectories and productivity. To address this issue, we propose a revised STHC model which includes a cultural dimension that overlays the human and social capital components of the original model. In particular, there is an advantage to incorporating a cultural dimension for the application of the STHC model to issues related to science and engineering careers for underrepresented groups and for understanding career barriers of scientists and graduate students.

SOCIAL CAPITAL INTERVENTIONS TARGETING OLDER PEOPLE AND THEIR HEALTH IMPACT: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

Observational studies show that social capital is a protective health factor. Therefore, we aim to assess the health impact of social capital interventions targeting older adults. We conducted a systematic review based on a logic model and assessed effectiveness using vote-counting and standardised decision rules. Studies were retrieved from Medline, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and Web of Science from January 1980 up to July 2015. We included randomized controlled trials targeting participants over the age of 60 or with a mean age of over 65 and focused on social capital or its components (i.e., social network, social support, social participation or social engagement). The comparison group should not include any social capital component. We focused on health outcomes and assessed risk of bias. The review protocol was registered in PROSPERO (ref. CRD42014015362). We examined 17,341 abstracts and included a total of 73 papers reporting 36 randomized controlled trials. There was a big heterogeneity across studies and positive effects were reported in different contexts, participants’ characteristics and intervention designs and in a wide variety of patient-reported outcomes and objective measures. Nevertheless, according to outcomes reported in five or more trials, social capital interventions showed mixed effects on quality of life, well-being and self-perceived health and were generally ineffective on loneliness, mood and mortality. Our review supports the potential of social capital interventions to reach comprehensive health effects in older adults while highlighting the lack of quality and comparability between trials.

The Effects of Social Capital on Innovation Performance: From Complex Adaptive System Perspective

The effects of organizational social capital on organizational innovation have attracted the bulk of attention in recent innovation literature. However, few studies have investigated the effects of organizational social capital on innovation performance from the complex adaptive system (CAS) perspective. Based on the CAS perspective, this paper simulates how organizations in manufacturing and service industries seek higher innovation performance on the rugged fitness landscape, which is determined by the complexity of the six components of organizational social capital. Data are collected from 271 firms including 129 manufacturing and 142 service firms. Empirical results indicate that except for inter-organizational coordination, the other five components of organizational social capital significantly affect innovation performance; and their effects vary between manufacturing and service organizations. Further, simulation results demonstrate that after adaptive evolution, the average innovation performance in manufacturing organizations is higher than that in service organizations.

The relationship between social capital components and control of type 2 diabetes: A path analysis model.

Background: Social capital is an important interpersonal organizational resource that may affect health behaviors and seems to be an important factor in chronic diseases. Considering the lack of evidence on this topic, in the present study, we aimed at investigating the association between components of social capital, socioeconomic condition, and controlling Type 2 diabetes mellitus in Iran. Methods: This study was conducted on 300 patients with Type 2 diabetes in Tehran, Iran. In this study, simple random sampling method was used for data collection. Path analysis model was used to examine the potential association between social capital components and to determine the factors that control Type 2 diabetes. Results: In the present study, most of the participants were female (70.7%) and married (78.7%). Path coefficients were calculated by a series of multiple regression analyses based on the conceptual model. The final model had a proper fit with Chi-square = 2.08 (DF = 1, P = 0.049), GFI = 0.542, AGFI = 0.915, NFI = 0.228, RFI = 0.284, IFI = 0.299, TLI = 0.292, CFI = 0.219, and RMSEA = 0.033. The Groups and networks (network) (β = 0.051, p = 0.036) and trust and solidarity (β = -0.018, p = 0.028) had a direct positive and negative effect on HbA1C, respectively. The results also revealed that education levels had a direct positive effect on groups and networks (network) (β = 0.118, p = 0.036), trust and solidarity (β = 0.082, p = 0.007), information and communication (β = 0.037, p = 0.027), and contribution in team works and public activities (β = 0.064, p = 0.003). In addition, education levels had an indirect positive effect on HbA1C through their effect on groups and networks (network), trust and solidarity, and information and communication. Conclusion: Social capital has a significant relationship with diabetes. Although it was not specified clearly which components of social capital were associated with diabetes, trust and solidarity showed a negative direct effect on HbA1C, respectively. Therefore, developing and implementing local and collective programs to build trust and increase the standards of social trust in patients with diabetes can be effective in controlling HbA1C.

Sociological Study of Mental Disorders: A Case Study in Arak

Background and Aim: According to the announcement of the WHO, mental Disorder is as important as physical health and is affected by a combination of social, psychological and biological components. This study aimed to explain the sociological grounds which affect the mental health of Arak's residents in 2017. Materials and Methods: This descriptive-analytic study was conducted on 15-64 year old population living in Arak. To determine the prevalence of mental disorders, general health questionnaire (GHQ-28) and determining the effective sociological parameters on them, questions from Durkheim and Merton's theories were used. The sample size was 384 using Cochran formula and data gathering was done using multi-stage cluster sampling. Data were analyzed using SPSS 23 software. Findings: Mean and SD of participants’ age was 34±13 years, mean and SD of household size was 1.5±4.5. 98.7% of participants were Shia, 72.9% were urban and 74% owned their home. The total prevalence of mental disorders was 28.9%: 23.31% in men and 34.55% in women. Moreover, the components of immigration, job status, social status, religion, ethnicity, structural and social pressures, family problems, congestion, anomy, traffic problems and social capital were shown to contribute to the risk of mental health and the occurrence of mental disorders. Conclusion: Regarding the high prevalence of mental disorders in this study, it is recommended that mediating institutions as ethical and legal entities be recognized by the government and try harder to reorganise and realize the individual rights and social cohesion. Please cite this article as: Tavakol M, Farahani H. Sociological Study of Mental Disorders: A Case Study in Arak. Bioethics Journal 2017; 7(26): 7-21.