Urban redevelopment and neighborhood health in East Baltimore, Maryland: The role of communitarian and institutional social capital

Abstract

Using qualitative research methods, this paper explores the role of social capital in affecting the health of an urban neighborhood undergoing redevelopment in East Baltimore, Maryland. Descriptive secondary data on redevelopment, health, and social capital in East Baltimore, Maryland and health in Baltimore City, Maryland are presented. The authors show how the private institution driving redevelopment in this neighborhood affects and is affected by the social capital of this community (communitarian and institutional forms of social capital). Next, primary ethnographic data from informal/ unstructured interviews, focus groups, a listening project, and in-depth key informant interviews are presented. These data show how local government affects the institutional social capital in this community. The qualitative results describe a current state:public relationship in East Baltimore that reflects insufficient institutional social capital (i.e. power to influence government institutions) in this community. Data show a community with minimal bridging social capital with the state government or the private developer in their community. Furthermore, residents feel that the bonding social capital between some community associations leads to mistrust of community leaders who represented them at negotiations with the state or the large private developer. This framework is used to evaluate how the political, economic and cultural context of a community affects its social capital and in turn the health of neighborhoods undergoing redevelopment.

Policing, Community Fragmentation, and Public Health: Observations from Baltimore

“…1,2 Community fragmentation, or lack of social cohesion, can result from many processes and is associated with poor health. [3][4][5][6][7][8][9] One process that may be linked to community fragmentation and ill health is violent policing.…”

IQ and the weight of nations

“…Further, intelligence increases the availability of social support (Salovey, Bedell, Detweiler, & Mayer, 2000) "which facilitate[s] the maintenance of healthy norms and the selfregulation of beneficial behaviors" (Yoon & Brown, 2011, p. 298). As there is a well-established link between various proxies of social capital, intelligence and health (Gomez & Muntaner, 2005;Kanazawa, 2014;Subramanian, Kim, & Kawachi, 2002), we expect a negative link between IQ and obesity.…”

Leveling the playing field through partnerships and collaboration : neighborhood revitalizations and the influence of social determinants of health and institutional logics.

“…(Gomez & Muntaner, 2005;Kissane & Clampet-Lundquist, 2012) This interviewee would also go on to note the importance of "embedding in the neighborhood"…”

“…(Gershtenson & Plane, 2015;Gomez & Muntaner, 2005) Often, clashes of institutional logics between community or family and the state, can lead to disruptions that negatively impact social determinants of health. Examples include business disruptions, child welfare regulations that inadvertently create artificial income ceilings for parents, and peaceful protests that turn violent.…”

“…In order for people to be empowered and take charge of their own lives, there is a need for jobs to allow residents the financial means to afford healthy foods, invest in educational opportunities, and move to better housing. (Arefi, 2004;Gilderbloom & Mullins, 2005;Gomez & Muntaner, 2005 …”