The emergence of online social capital during the COVID-19 outbreak and its impact on individual coping and community resilience in rural areas

This study aimed to investigate the emergence of online social capital during the COVID-19 outbreak and its impact on individual coping and community resilience in rural areas. The study reveals how social capital contributes to the development of two distinct traits, including selfishness and social support, and illustrates how these variables may affect the individual's way of coping and the perceived community's resilience to the COVID-19 pandemic. The proposed model was tested on a sample of 300 rural residents in Zanjan province, Iran. The required information was gathered using a questionnaire consisting of ten sections. The face, content, and construct validity of the research instrument were assessed and approved. Also, a pilot study was conducted to evaluate its reliability. Structural equation modeling was applied to examine the associations between the variables, and the results demonstrate a good fit. The findings declared a significant increase in online intimate relationships and information diversity after the outbreak of COVID-19, indicating the emergence of new social capital, which increased the tendency for social distancing. Further, the results showed that social support is strengthened during disastrous events by the strong ties of individuals within the community, leading to positive coping and community resilience. While social capital does not act so strongly in controlling the formation of negative attitudes like selfishness, which could lead people towards negative coping strategies and lower community resilience. Thus, for disaster management, policymakers must invest in social capital development and strengthening as well as dependable online networks.