scholarly journals The Bridging Activity of Multiracial Congregations

Religions ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 204
Author(s):  
Edward Polson ◽  
Rachel Gillespie
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Ethnic Diversity ◽  
Social Trust ◽  
Ethnic Composition ◽  
Religious Congregations ◽  
Bridging Social Capital ◽  
Service Programs ◽  
Multiracial Congregations ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Racial Ethnic

The growing diversity of U.S. communities has led scholars to explore how racial/ethnic diversity effects social capital, civic engagement, and social trust. Less is known about the relationship between diversity and the work of community-based organizations (CBOs). In this study, we examine how the racial/ethnic composition of one ubiquitous type of CBO, religious congregations, is related to measures of organizational bridging social capital. Analyzing data collected through a census of congregations in one Midwestern county, we explore the relationship between racial/ethnic diversity and the bridging activity of religious congregations. We find that multiracial congregations are more likely to be involved with externally focused service programs, tend to support a larger number of programs, and report more interorganizational collaborators than other congregations. Our findings suggest that multiracial congregations can provide a valuable resource for increasingly diverse communities and civil society.

Worshiping across the Color Line: The Influence of Congregational Composition on Whites’ Friendship Networks and Racial Attitudes

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 100-114 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward C. Polson ◽  
Kevin D. Dougherty
Keyword(s):  
Ethnic Groups ◽  
Ethnic Diversity ◽  
Ethnic Composition ◽  
Friendship Networks ◽  
Color Line ◽  
Recent Scholarship ◽  
Multiracial Congregations ◽  
Race Ethnicity ◽  
American Society ◽  
Racial Ethnic

Religious participation has reinforced the color line in American society for generations. Despite rising racial and ethnic diversity across U.S. communities, most Americans continue to belong to congregations composed primarily of others from their own racial/ethnic groups. Yet recent scholarship suggests that the presence of multiple racial or ethnic groups in the same congregation is increasing. The authors examine how the racial/ethnic composition of U.S. congregations is related to white attenders’ friendship networks and comfort with other racial/ethnic groups (i.e., blacks, Hispanics, and Asians). Using national survey data, the authors find that whites in multiracial congregations report more diverse friendship networks and higher levels of comfort with nonwhites than do whites in nonmultiracial congregations. However, the influence of worshipping with another race/ethnicity seems to be most pronounced for whites in congregations with Hispanics. Moreover, neighbors and friends of other races have more impact on whites’ friendship networks and attitudes than do congregations. The authors discuss implications of these findings for understanding U.S. intergroup relations and the potential of congregations to address the color line.

The Burden of Excessive “Linking Social Capital”

2015 ◽  
Vol 43 (6) ◽  
pp. 760-785 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olivier Rubin
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Top Down ◽  
Local Authorities ◽  
Bridging Social Capital ◽  
Vulnerable Communities ◽  
Linking Social Capital ◽  
Bonding And Bridging ◽  
Vulnerable Households ◽  
North Vietnam ◽  
The Relationship

This article analyses the relationship between vulnerable households and local authorities during floods using the concept of linking social capital. The analysis combines a narrow operationalisation that measures the stock of linking social capital in vulnerable communities, with a broader operationalisation that seeks to address the nature of linking social capital. The empirical data, collected across four provinces in Central and North Vietnam, suggests that while a substantial stock of social linking capital exists in the vulnerable communities concerned, the nature of the relationship between the communities and local authorities during floods is characterised by top-down linkages and limited community autonomy. These linkages appear to be susceptible to social inertia during times of stress. They also undermine the development and reproduction of strong bonding and bridging social capital.

Theology Mediating Social Capital: Ordinary Theology, Motivation and Relationships

2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 87-103
Author(s):  
Michael Smith
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Religious Education ◽  
Religious Affiliation ◽  
Ethnographic Study ◽  
Community Life ◽  
Bridging Social Capital ◽  
Faith Based ◽  
Significant Relationships ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Significant Attention

The concept of social capital and its use as a sociological tool has received considerable attention and continues to provide insights into various aspects of community life. Social capital offers a means to study beneficial and detrimental aspects of relationships away from economic or rationalist reduction. Although social capital and religious affiliation has seen significant attention in the literature, there has been little research into the relationship between theology and social capital. In this article, theology and social capital is explored through a qualitative ethnographic study of an Australian faith-based organisation. It is argued that ordinary theology, defined as the beliefs found in the language of believers without scholarly religious education (Astley 2002) mediates social capital. The ordinary theology of the volunteers, which I callaction-driven theologywas found to mediate bridging social capital with refugees through developing theologically significant relationships.

scholarly journals Homophily and Social Capital in a Network of Religious Congregations

Religions ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
pp. 653
Author(s):  
Jennifer M. McClure
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Social Capital ◽  
Social Network ◽  
Network Analysis ◽  
Southeastern United States ◽  
Sociology Of Religion ◽  
Religious Congregations ◽  
Major Metropolitan Area ◽  
Curvilinear Relationships ◽  
The Relationship

This article investigates the relationship between homophily, the tendency for relationships to be more common among similar actors, and social capital in a social network of religious congregations from eight counties encompassing and surrounding a major metropolitan area in the southeastern United States. This network is inter-congregational, consisting of congregations and the relationships between them. Two types of social capital are investigated: the first involves the extent to which congregations bridge across structural holes, or bridge together otherwise disconnected congregations within the network; secondly, network closure involves the extent to which congregations are embedded in tight-knit clusters. Analyses use two types of homophily (religious and racial) to predict both outcomes, and they test linear and curvilinear relationships between both forms of homophily and the outcomes. Results indicate that congregations with moderate levels of religious homophily are more likely to bridge between otherwise disconnected congregations; however, congregations with low or high religious homophily as well as congregations with high racial homophily are more likely to be embedded in tight-knit relational clusters. This article contributes additional social network research on congregations and evidence of curvilinear relationships between homophily and social capital to the fields of social network analysis and sociology of religion.

scholarly journals Bridging and Bounding Social Capital: Social Interaction Analysis of Islets Islanders in Wakatobi Marine National Park

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 30-46
Author(s):  
Taane La Ola ◽  
Nur Isiyana Wianti ◽  
Muslim Tadjuddah
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
National Park ◽  
Interaction Analysis ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Bonding Social Capital ◽  
Bridging Social Capital ◽  
The Social ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Depth Interviews

The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the differences in the strength of social capital that is bonding and bridging two community groups, namely land-dwellers and Sama Bajo boat-dwellers in three islands in Wakatobi Marine National Park. This study used a post-positivistic research paradigm, and the primary data were collected by using a questionnaire to 240 respondents who represented the group of land-dwellers and Sama Bajo boat-dwellers on the islands of Wangi-wangi, Kaledupa, and Tomia. This research was also supported by qualitative data through in-depth interviews from several informants and desk studies. The results showed that bridging social capital relations tend to be weak in the two forms of interactions between the Sama Bajo and the land-dwellers on Wangi-wangi Island and Kaledupa Island, while bridging social capital tend to be secured in Tomia Island. We found that the social context through the historical links in the past and identity played a role in the relationship of bridging social capital and bonding social capital in the three communities as an analytical unit of this research.  

Cyber Behavior and Social Capital

2012 ◽  
pp. 1063-1073
Author(s):  
Tetsuro Kobayashi
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Social Networks ◽  
Civic Engagement ◽  
Intellectual History ◽  
Technology Use ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Social Trust ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Mobile Phone Use ◽  
The Relationship

This chapter reviews historical development of research on cyber behavior and social capital, based on the definition by Robert D. Putnam, by focusing on the relationship between Information Communication and Technology use with social networks, civic engagement, as well as social trust. Firstly, the intellectual history of studies on cyber behavior and social capital is reviewed. Secondly, important past studies on the relationship between ICT use and social capital are focused from four perspectives: social networks, civic engagement, local community, and mobile phone use. Finally, future research directions are discussed from the perspective of comparative culture and rapidly evolving high-functionality smart phones.

Ethnic Homogeneity and Community Policing: The Surprising Effects of Social Capital in Two Cape Town Neighborhoods

2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 331-355
Author(s):  
Ann K. Karreth
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Community Policing ◽  
Ethnic Diversity ◽  
Cape Town ◽  
Distinct Advantage ◽  
Individual Action ◽  
Comparative Political Economy ◽  
Public Goods Provision ◽  
Bonding Social Capital ◽  
The Relationship

AbstractUnder what conditions does coethnicity undermine mutually beneficial collective action? One of the most enduring hypotheses in a comparative political economy decade is that ethnic diversity tends to undermine public goods provision. Ethnically homogenous communities are assumed to have a distinct advantage in local goods provision because shared identities tend to facilitate cooperation among coethnics. However, one can observe variation in the success of local goods provision across homogenous communities. To explain this puzzling occurrence, I explore the relationship between coethnicity and social capital, examining how they interact differently in different contexts. Empirically, I conduct an analysis of my own fieldwork on community policing efforts in two ethnically homogenous communities in Cape Town, South Africa. Ultimately, the paper demonstrates that, in some contexts, coethnicity facilitates the development of bonding social capital, a type of social capital that constricts opportunities for individual action by creating certain expectations about behavior. In the context of community policing, those expectations can discourage individuals from participating in collective efforts.

scholarly journals Pride and Purpose: reflections on timebanking practice for fostering social networks in wellbeing improvement schemes

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-18
Author(s):  
LEE GREGORY
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Social Networks ◽  
Coping Mechanisms ◽  
Alternative Account ◽  
Bridging Social Capital ◽  
Community Initiative ◽  
Critical Account ◽  
And Coping ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Analysis Of Social Networks

Abstract This paper explores the relationship between social capital and a community initiative known as timebanking. Its purpose is to offer a more critical account of the literature to date, which suggests timebanking generates improved health outcomes because it facilitates bridging social capital. Drawing on Cattell’s (2011) analysis of social networks the paper offers an alternative account. It suggests a more nuanced view of social networks shows the development of different networks by members, resulting from gendered forms of participation. The consequences of this is that whilst different network forms provide sources of pride and coping mechanisms for members, for women they inhabit more diverse networks which offer greater benefits whilst men may still experience some forms of exclusion and isolation through their participation.

Does Diversity Damage Social Capital? A Comparative Study of Neighbourhood Diversity and Social Capital in the US and Britain

2010 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
pp. 289-318 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward Fieldhouse ◽  
David Cutts
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Ethnic Diversity ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Minority Groups ◽  
Structural Equation Models ◽  
Social Trust ◽  
Negative Relationship ◽  
Capital Social ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
The Us

Abstract. A number of scholars have noted a negative relationship between ethnic diversity and social capital or social trust, especially in the US. Evidence from other countries has been more mixed and sometimes contradictory. In this paper we provide the first Anglo-American comparative analysis of the relationship between neighbourhood diversity and social capital, and show how this relationship varies across ethnic categories. We apply multilevel structural equation models to individual level data from the 2000 Citizen Benchmark Survey for the US and the 2005 Citizenship Survey for Great Britain. The findings suggest that while for attitudinal social capital among Whites the negative underlying relationship with diversity is apparent in both countries, the effect is much weaker or reversed for minority groups. For structural social capital the negative relationship is apparent for minorities but not Whites, but this is mainly attributable to other neighbourhood characteristics.Résumé. Un certain nombre d'universitaires ont noté une relation négative entre la diversité ethnique et le capital social ou la confiance sociale, surtout aux États-Unis. D'autres pays, par contre, offrent des constats plus mitigés et parfois contradictoires. Dans cet article, nous présentons la première analyse comparative anglo-américaine de la relation entre la diversité du voisinage et le capital social et nous démontrons comment cette relation varie selon les catégories ethniques. Nous appliquons des modélisations par équation structurelle à multiniveaux à des données de niveau individuel provenant du Citizen Benchmark Survey de 2000 pour les États-Unis et du Citizenship Survey de 2005 pour la Grande-Bretagne. Les résultats démontrent que si, pour le capital social attitudinal, la relation fondamentale négative avec la diversité est évidente parmi les Blancs dans les deux pays, l'effet est cependant beaucoup plus faible ou renversé pour les groupes minoritaires. En ce qui concerne le capital social structurel, la relation négative est évidente pour les minorités, mais pas pour les Blancs, mais cette situation est principalement attribuable à d'autres caractéristiques du voisinage.

Teacher Racial/Ethnic Diversity: Distribution of Special and General Educators of Color Across Schools

2017 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
pp. 199-212 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bonnie S. Billingsley ◽  
Elizabeth A. Bettini ◽  
Thomas O. Williams
Keyword(s):  
General Education ◽  
Students Of Color ◽  
Ethnic Diversity ◽  
The United States ◽  
Early Career ◽  
Ethnic Composition ◽  
Teachers Of Color ◽  
Education Teacher ◽  
Teacher Workforce ◽  
Racial Ethnic

Students benefit from a teacher workforce that represents the full racial/ethnic diversity of the United States. We examine racial/ethnic composition of general education teacher (GET) and special education teacher (SET) workforce using the Schools and Staffing Survey. We find that the teacher workforce continues to be primarily White. In 2011–2012, 18% of SETs and GETS were people of color; however, 47% of students with disabilities were students of color. Among teachers of color, the majority identify as Black or Hispanic, with a smaller proportion of Hispanic SETs than GETs. Early career SETs are racially/ethnically similar to experienced SETs, while early career GETs are somewhat more diverse. There were dramatic differences across regions, type of districts, and schools; higher percentages of teachers of color taught in high-poverty and urban schools as well as in schools with higher enrollments of students of color. Results have important implications for education policy and teacher preparation.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document