“The hook‐up”: How youth‐serving organizations facilitate network‐based social capital for urban youth of color

Abstract

Young people of color residing in distressed urban contexts face challenges in accessing social capital that supports positive development and the transition to educational and employment opportunities. Youth‐serving organizations play potentially important roles for youth participants to access and leverage networks. This ethnographic study draws on qualitative interviews, conducted with adolescents at a youth‐serving organization based in East Oakland, California, to examine how network‐based social capital is activated and sustained for and by urban Black and Latinx youth. We found that relationships with supportive adult staff at the organization put youth in contact with caring, trusted adults of color outside of their families who serve as role models for them. These adults provide loving accountability to young people, serving as critical forces in distressed and stigmatized communities. We also found that adult staff activate social leverage to garner various current and future educational and professional opportunities for the youth there. These unique opportunities serve to boost young people's current self‐esteem and also to prime them to envision positive futures for themselves. Overall, these findings point to the importance of interpersonal pathways embedded within neighborhood institutions in the activation of network‐based social capital.

Enhancing Education and Career Pathways Through Peer and Near-Peer Social Capital

“…These types of organizations can serve as brokers by connecting emerging adults to peers, mentors, coaches, potential employers, and many other social connections that may serve as developmental relationships, and increase their network of support and access to useful resources (Small, 2009). This is supported by research which shows that organizations that provide access to new and different social connections and resources (e.g., opportunities for education and career preparation, support and exploration) are effective in promoting education (Dill & Ozer, 2019), work readiness (Boat et al, 2021), and employment outcomes (Syvertsen et al, 2021). Two of the most common types of developmental relationships that emerging adults may gain access to in relationally-rich organizations are peers and near-peers.…”

Bridging and Bonding: A Case for Prioritizing Social and Organizational Connectedness in Non-Profit Literacy Programming

“…Hence, participation in community programs can result in service users experiencing “unanticipated gains” (Small, 2009 ). Research examining the conditions within non-profit organizations and community initiatives that are conducive to the cultivation of social and organizational ties for marginalized service users spotlights seven key elements: collaborative activities that enable regular interaction; the minimization of competition; relationships marked by rapport and trust; minimized interpersonal power imbalances; the prioritization of inclusivity; the maintenance of judgement-free settings; and the capacity to link individuals to people, resources and organizations (Balatti & Falk, 2002 ; Balatti et al, 2007 ; Dill & Ozer, 2019 ; Lee, 2013 ; Small, 2009 ; Trussell & Mair, 2010 ).…”

“…Non-profit support programs and literacy education can foster the production of social capital, a set of networks offering various resources, opportunities, and a sense of mutual obligation that benefit individuals within these networks. The benefits of social capital for individuals include a heightened feeling of belonging, expanded opportunities, and a greater sense of hope (Dill & Ozer, 2019 ; Griffiths et al, 2009 ; Prentice et al, 2020 ; Putnam, 2000 ; Small, 2009 ). Social capital also produces important sociological benefits.…”

Community lives of adolescents across multiple special needs: Discrimination, community belonging, trusted people, leisure activities, and friends

“…Inspired by such social capital concepts as interpersonal relationships, a shared sense of identity, a shared understanding, shared norms, shared values, trust, cooperation, and reciprocity (Amaturo et al, 2019;Dill & Ozer, 2019;Jørgensen, 2017;Lee et al, 2016;Prince et al, 2019;Shields, 2008), we identified three objectives. First, we sought to detail survey respondents' perceptions of discrimination, and, specifically, the particular aspects of their lives they felt elicited discrimination.…”

“…Carpiano and Hystad (2011) describe social network-based social capital located within the same city/local community and/or neighborhood as geographic-based social capital. According to the authors, a form of geographicbased social capital is one's sense of community belonging, which refers broadly to the connectedness, attachment, and commitment a person makes to social relationships in the community-all of which are important factors in healthy development, physical health, and mental health (Carpiano & Hystad, 2011;Dill & Ozer, 2019;Hällsten et al, 2017;Jørgensen, 2017;Markham et al, 2010;Somefun & Simo Fotso, 2020). Multiple features of the physical and built environment, local services and amenities, and other social and cultural factors all have bearing on one's sense of community belonging (Carpiano & Hystad, 2011).…”