| George Wimberly
University of Chicago
Links between social capital and educational attainment among African American adolescents
FINAL REPORT:
This study uses National Educational Longitudinal Study of 1988-94 data (NELS:88-94) to examine how social capital in the school context affects African American adolescents' educational expectations and educational attainment. Social capital theories offer an alternative explanation of the educational attainment process, moving beyond race and social class. Social capital is defined as the resources one gains from relationships with other individuals, institutions, or corporate actors. These relationships facilitate norms and values, funnel information, and create as well as help one take advantage of opportunities. I conceptualize social capital as both a derivative of and stimulus for economic, human, and cultural capital. This study adds to the research linking African American students' relationships with school personnel, their peers, and their parents with their educational outcomes.
This study's central hypothesis is that school social capital increases African American students' educational expectations and educational attainment. The findings support this hypothesis with some variations between African American and white students. Although most students have high educational expectations, nearly half of the African American students have not attended college two years past high school. Among African Americans, their social capital tends to legitimate strong educational norms and values which have a positive effect on their educational outcomes. However, weak economic, human, and cultural capital may limit African American students' social capital that provides information about college and creates educational opportunities. The findings suggest that white students' social capital explains their educational outcomes better than it does for African Americans.
Findings from this study will guide school administrators and policymakers as they design programs and initiatives to help students succeed in high school and college. Just as policies have sought to improve students' economic and human capital, policies should be directed toward increasing students' social capital. These policies can focus on students' relationships with school personnel, their peers, and their parents. School reform initiatives are the beginning of this process.
Back to Funded Dissertation Grants Page |