Abstract

This study aims to examine the role of cultural centers affiliated with the Municipality of Qom in strengthening social capital and preventing social harms during the period 1401 to 1403. The research method is qualitative and based on document analysis of performance reports, budgets, and cultural, social, and sports projects and programs of the Cultural, Social, and Sports Organization of the Municipality of Qom. The findings indicate that a neighborhood-based approach, the development of cultural and sports infrastructure, targeted support for religious institutions, and the implementation of citizen culture programs have provided a context for strengthening networks of social interaction, increasing local participation, and enhancing social cohesion. The analysis of the results within the theoretical framework of social capital and Hirschi’s social control theory suggests that these actions can effectively reduce the conditions for the occurrence of social harms by reinforcing social ties and mechanisms of informal social control. Accordingly, the continuation of neighborhood-based policies and social institution-building may be considered as a preventive strategy in the management of urban social harms.