Effects of Social Capital on the Rural Life Satisfaction of Rural In-Migrants: The Mediating Role of Community Participation

This study examined the effect of social capital on rural life satisfaction among rural in-migrants—specifically return farmers, returnees, and marriage migrants—and analyzed the mediating role of community participation. A nationwide face-to-face survey was conducted in rural eup and myeon areas from May to June 2024, yielding 1,030 valid responses. Social capital was measured as individual social capital and community-level social capital, while community participation was categorized into five types: Autonomous social groups, autonomous economic groups, government-led learning organizations, migrant-led autonomous organizations, and local government-led migrant organizations. Data were analyzed using regression and bootstrapping (10,000 iterations) in SPSS and the PROCESS Macro (Model 4). The results were as follows: First, social capital had a significant positive effect on rural life satisfaction. Second, social capital was positively correlated with all types of community participation, confirming its role in enhancing community engagement. Third, the mediation analysis revealed that autonomous social groups, autonomous economic groups, and migrant-led autonomous organizations partially mediated the relationship between social capital and rural life satisfaction. In contrast, government-led learning organizations and local government-led migrant organizations did not show significant mediation effects. These findings suggest that esident-led autonomous community activities contribute more directly to improving rural life satisfaction than government-driven organizations. This study provides meaningful insights into the social capital structure and mechanisms of community participation among rural in-migrants, offering foundational evidence for developing policies and strategies to support rural settlement and revitalize local communities.