social cooperation networks and altered social groupings shaped by drought: a case study of the village of tutang in hormozgon province

a decrease in natural resources and their non-uniform distribution can affect social relationships between residents ofwatersheds, creating conflict and shifting groupings. the present study used the network analysis method to test thehypothesis that change in hydrologic parameters and water shortages in the village of tutang has led to the new groupingsin the social cooperation network of the local population. data was gathered by questionnaire. a cooperative networkcomposed of village residents to resolve the water shortage was delineated using ucinet and visone software. theresults showed that past communication patterns based on kinship changed after the water shortage arose and led to theformation of new groupings among residents. individuals who cooperated in resolving the water shortage experiencedhigher social power, authority, and status. the results emphasized the need to focus attention on the interactions betweensubsystems of a social-ecological system. determined individuals with increased social power can be enlisted to solve theconflicts