Building Bridges: Linking Old Heads to Collective Efficacy in Disadvantaged Communities,

Abstract

Recent reports of police shootings and urban unrest have increased public awareness of the nonwhite experience in communities long plagued by disadvantage and racial inequality. Given current times, there is little research that examines how community residents maintain social ties and trust. Race relations literature finds that support and trust come from "old heads," community residents who have a reputation of respect and serve as mentors. Although traditionally old heads are defined as older, minority males with a history of employment, "redeemed" old heads exist. This research provides in-depth interviews with old heads to better understand the residents who characterize this group but also to illustrate the roles they play in their communities. Our results suggest that old heads engage in, and build up, their communities through three themes: linking people to resources, solving problems, and establishing social ties. Attempts are made to link old heads to research on collective efficacy, which captures community level efforts to advance social cohesion and a willingness to engage in informal social control when combating crime and disorder. We conclude with a discussion of how future research can better incorporate old heads as an aspect of community life.

The role of collective efficacy in long‐term condition management: A metasynthesis

“…Following the emergence of collective efficacy, whether triggered by a critical incident, or nurtured through the development of relationships over time, the evidence reviewed suggests that further work must be undertaken to sustain the process. This involves the deployment of authoritative support in the form of visible leaders or a set of group members responding to individual concerns, and driving collective goals and actions (Carter et al, ; Pegram et al, ; Petrosino & Pace, ; Shin, ; Teig et al, ). Constancy of effort and ongoing review of common goals are relevant to this (Ingram et al, ) as is feedback on the performance and achievements of the collective which promotes and reinforces action over time through increased self‐ and collective‐efficacy (Beverly & Wray, ; Fisher & Gosselink, ).…”

The Illness Associations of Police Violence: Differential Relationships by Ethnoracial Composition

“… Editor's Note : This article is part of a special issue of Sociological Forum titled “Whose Lives Matter? Violence, Social Control, and the Racial Divide.” For other articles featured in the issue, see Auyero and Sobering (2017), Carter, Parker and Zaykowski (2017), Cerulo (2017), Henricks and Harevy (2017), LeCount (2017), Ray, Marsh, and Powelson (2017), Roschelle (2017), Ruane (2017), Scarborough (2017), Sykes, Piquero, and Gioviano (2017), and Torres, Cannito‐Coville, and Rodriguez (2017). …”

Not One but Many: Monetary Punishment and the Fergusons of America,

“… Editor's Note : This article is part of a special issue of Sociological Forum titled “Whose Lives Matter? Violence, Social Control and the Racial Divide.” For other articles featured in the issue, see Auyero and Sobering (2017), Carter, Parker, and Zaykowski (2017), Cerulo (2017), Henricks and Harvey (2017), LeCount (2017), Roschelle (2017), Ruane (2017), Scarborough (2017), Sewell (2017), Sykes, Piquero, and Gioviano (2017), and Torres, Cannito‐Coville, and Rodriguez (2017). …”