Identifying Individual Social Capital Profiles in Low-Resource Communities: Using Cluster Analysis to Enhance Community Engagement
Year: 2019
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Objective: Understanding social capital patterns among community members has been identified as a strategy to help community organizers plan more effective neighborhood engagement approaches. This study seeks to identify and describe social capital profiles among residents of a low-resource community. Method: We used a cross-sectional, community-based participatory research design to administer a face-to-face head-of-household survey (N = 121 households) in three adjacent, underresourced neighborhoods in Baton Rouge, LA. We used hierarchical cluster analysis to identify social capital profiles; differences in cluster profiles were assessed using analysis of variance tests. Results: We identified four distinct social capital profiles. Among the highly civically engaged profiles, one engaged social ties more, whereas the other trusted more and participated in more reciprocal behaviors. Among the less civically engaged profiles, one engaged social ties and participated in more reciprocal behaviors, and the other expressed high levels of trust. Conclusions: Efforts to build social capital in communities should recognize that individuals possess different social capital profiles and may be motivated to engage by different factors. We discuss strategies that community organizers and social workers could use to enhance community engagement.
DOI: 10.1086/706193
Authors: Mary Ellen Brown, Michelle Livermore
Institutions: Arizona State University, Louisiana State University
Language: English
Topic: Social Capital and Networks
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2980928751