Desirable local community: A Strategy to Resist the Sale of Rural land to Strangers

Introduction
The sale of land by villagers has had numerous effects on rural society. One of the most important of these effects is the transformation of the land ownership system in villages and the division of rural lands between indigenous and non-indigenous groups, which has generated many conflicts within rural communities. This is because these groups have different perceptions and goals regarding life in the village. Non-indigenous people often consider the village a place for recreation and leisure, whereas villagers view it as a space for work and livelihood. Therefore, non-native landowners do not pursue the interests and goals of villagers, which sometimes causes rural society to become an arena of confrontation and the emergence of complex conflicts that can severely affect the nature and survival of that society.Serious efforts should be made to preserve and sustain villages as historical heritage sites and important economic resources. To achieve this goal, the most accessible measure is to utilize the capacities and resources available within rural communities. In fact, each local community possesses a unique set of skills and capacities for its own development that can be employed in various ways.Among the numerous villages in the northern provinces, almost all of which have undergone fundamental functional changes due to land sales, the three villages studied have spontaneously resisted the invasion of outsiders seeking to purchase land by strengthening their local community and developing appropriate strategies. In these villages, due to the strong sense of cooperation and belonging among residents, land preservation and the prevention of changes in rural land ownership by non-natives have been controlled to an acceptable level.Accordingly, this study was conducted to examine how these villages have been protected against the seductive pressure of land purchases by outsiders. This objective raises the following questions: Why is the purchase of valuable land by non-natives minimal in these villages? How do villagers manage to preserve their land despite economic limitations and the high monetary value of land? What local capacities have led to land preservation in these villages? What possible consequences does this capacity produce? Overall, this research seeks to provide a successful model for preserving the nature of rural communities and preventing the sale of high-quality rural land.
Method
In order to achieve the research objectives based on the perspectives of human actors, this study adopted a qualitative approach and employed thematic analysis as the qualitative strategy for data collection and analysis. The research tools included open and semi-structured interviews as well as observation.The research participants consisted of permanent and non-permanent residents of the three neighboring villages of Kasgareh, Kochichal, and Kandehsar, located in the Sardar Jangal District of Fouman County in Guilan Province. Participants were selected using purposive and theoretical sampling methods. Lived experiences and direct encounters with the phenomenon of land sales were considered the main focus of the interview questions. Through simultaneous analysis of the interview data, theoretical saturation was almost achieved after conducting 32 interviews.
Findings
The findings of this study revealed the existence of a desirable local community in the villages under study, which is formed and strengthened through five interconnected components: territorial belonging and land attachment, spontaneous local social management, strengthening of intra-group social capital, preservation of rural cultural identity, and harmonious collective living.The desirable local community has produced various outcomes in the studied villages, the most prominent of which is collective action aimed at preventing the sale of land to outsiders. By creating strong attachment and a constructive communication network, this community has laid the groundwork for a strategy of resistance to land sales through three components: promoting a land preservation culture, learning from experiences of rural land sales to outsiders in other villages, and prioritizing land sales to local residents. Through these mechanisms, the community has largely prevented the appropriation of rural lands by non-native individuals.
Discussion
By creating strong social networks and maintaining constructive relationships among all village members, along with fostering a strong sense of belonging to their village, residents in the studied communities are inclined toward collective actions to preserve the nature of the village. One manifestation of this collective action is the prevention of changes in land ownership and the acquisition of rural lands by non-native actors.In fact, the existence of positive feelings toward land among villagers, along with the reinforcement of these feelings in an almost universal manner across all residents regardless of differences in gender, age, education, or income, has led to widespread cooperation and public participation in improving their living environment. In the three villages studied, residents have been able to create strong capacities for local development by involving all villagers and even engaging non-residents and temporary or non-permanent residents. These capacities are being appropriately utilized to protect rural lands. To reduce the damage caused by changes in rural life, it is essential to rely on the solutions and experiences of villagers themselves. In this regard, the studied villages clearly demonstrate that through public participation and the creation of a desirable local community, it is possible to preserve valuable rural lands without government intervention or formal legal mechanisms.