Social Capital: U.S.
Two prominent scholars are often considered in the discussion on social capital: Bourdieu and Coleman. Pierre Bourdieu (1930-2002), an influential French sociologist, posed social capital as “the sum of resources, actual or virtual, that accrue to an individual or a group by virtue of possessing a durable network of more or less institutionalized relationships of mutual acquaintance and recognition” (1). Overall, Bourdieu took a rather pessimistic approach, emphasizing social capital as the source of social inequalities. James Coleman (1926-1995), an American sociologist, suggested social capital as “a resource based on trust and shared values, and develops from the weaving-together of people in communities” (1). Coleman particularly focuses on social capital for youth and its effect on the creation of human capital for the next generation. He also highlights the usefulness of social capital as a potential solution for marginalized learners and its importance in parenting for people of all social classes (1). It is with Coleman’s lens that I approach social capital and education in the U.S.
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Parents
The role of parents is one of the largest, if not the largest, sources of social capital in a child’s life. In fact, some have defined the narrower field of social capital, education-related social capital, as “involvement by parents in school activities” (2). A vast majority of the literature supports the finding that “one of the most important factors promoting student success is active involvement of parents in a child’s education” (2). Given this information, it is clear that parents who are not involved or are distant from a child’s life and education fails to nurture a relationship with their child that promotes social capital. This is often the case in the U.S. with divorced parents, single mom families, and families with two working parents. This lack of parental figure or limited availability of parents reduces the time spent with children. Furthermore, the role of parents becomes even more pronounced when students begin the process for applying to colleges. Parents that do not value higher education or have the time to help students with essays, college visits, and applications seriously degrade a student’s social capital.
Additional Sources
There are many other sources of social capital for students aside from parents including teachers, counselors, peers, coaches, community members, and religious leaders. Although parents are extremely important, “alternative sites within the school and community do provide compensatory opportunities for many low-status youth to receive the proper support, socialization, and integration” (3). A diverse network of adults and peers presents students with more points of access to social capital. Issues arise, however, when these sources of social capital fail to support students in pro-social and academically beneficial ways. For example, students who belong to gangs reference these peers (often considered family even) in decisions regarding behavior and academics which may lead them to criminal activity or dropping out of school. In terms of teachers and counselors, minority students in the U.S. have often cited instances where these educational promoters, in theory, have acted as “negative” sources of social capital. Teachers may place minority students on remedial tracks or make assumptions about their learning abilities while counselors may steer students towards lower-performing, if any, colleges later in high school. Of course this is not the case with all educators, but for minority and low-income students social capital is particularly important to their academic achievement.
The role of parents is one of the largest, if not the largest, sources of social capital in a child’s life. In fact, some have defined the narrower field of social capital, education-related social capital, as “involvement by parents in school activities” (2). A vast majority of the literature supports the finding that “one of the most important factors promoting student success is active involvement of parents in a child’s education” (2). Given this information, it is clear that parents who are not involved or are distant from a child’s life and education fails to nurture a relationship with their child that promotes social capital. This is often the case in the U.S. with divorced parents, single mom families, and families with two working parents. This lack of parental figure or limited availability of parents reduces the time spent with children. Furthermore, the role of parents becomes even more pronounced when students begin the process for applying to colleges. Parents that do not value higher education or have the time to help students with essays, college visits, and applications seriously degrade a student’s social capital.
Additional Sources
There are many other sources of social capital for students aside from parents including teachers, counselors, peers, coaches, community members, and religious leaders. Although parents are extremely important, “alternative sites within the school and community do provide compensatory opportunities for many low-status youth to receive the proper support, socialization, and integration” (3). A diverse network of adults and peers presents students with more points of access to social capital. Issues arise, however, when these sources of social capital fail to support students in pro-social and academically beneficial ways. For example, students who belong to gangs reference these peers (often considered family even) in decisions regarding behavior and academics which may lead them to criminal activity or dropping out of school. In terms of teachers and counselors, minority students in the U.S. have often cited instances where these educational promoters, in theory, have acted as “negative” sources of social capital. Teachers may place minority students on remedial tracks or make assumptions about their learning abilities while counselors may steer students towards lower-performing, if any, colleges later in high school. Of course this is not the case with all educators, but for minority and low-income students social capital is particularly important to their academic achievement.
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The Minority Experience
In many cases, minorities in education face obstacles to realizing social capital their white peers may not necessarily face. Parents who did not attend college and do not know the process for applying can offer little support for their child when applying for college. Low college attendance rates are particularly prevalent for immigrants to the U.S. that grew up and were educated in their home countries. This puts these families at an additional disadvantage as they may not fully understand how the education system in the U.S. works and the resources, particularly human, that are available to them. For immigrants, language barriers can also affect student’s abilities to obtain social capital as they may not be able to form bonds with peers and adults until their English speaking skills are more developed. As I mentioned previously, racism in education may also harm or prevent relationships with other sources of social capital, such as teachers and counselors. |
1. Gauntlett, D. (2011). Three approaches to social capital. (pp. 1-7). Cambridge, UK: Polity Press.
2. Tedin, Kent L. & Weiher, & Gregory R., (2011), General Social Capital, Education-Related Social Capital, and Choosing Charter Schools., The Policy Studies Journal, Vol.39, No. 4, pp. 609-29.
3. Stanton-Salazar, R. (2004). Social capital among working-class minority students. In M. Gibson, P. Gándara, & J. Koyama (Eds.), School Connections: U.S. Mexican Youth, Peers, and Social Achievement (18-34). New York: Teachers College Press.
4. http://www.businessearth.com/social-capital-understand-grow/
5. http://springboardcap.wordpress.com/tag/social-capital/
2. Tedin, Kent L. & Weiher, & Gregory R., (2011), General Social Capital, Education-Related Social Capital, and Choosing Charter Schools., The Policy Studies Journal, Vol.39, No. 4, pp. 609-29.
3. Stanton-Salazar, R. (2004). Social capital among working-class minority students. In M. Gibson, P. Gándara, & J. Koyama (Eds.), School Connections: U.S. Mexican Youth, Peers, and Social Achievement (18-34). New York: Teachers College Press.
4. http://www.businessearth.com/social-capital-understand-grow/
5. http://springboardcap.wordpress.com/tag/social-capital/