Social Capital & Community Development

Lin (2000) provides a review of the literature and defines social capital. Social capital according to Lin is the investment and use of embedded resources in social relation for expected returns. Social capital can be examined in terms of resource and also locale.
1. Quantity or quality of resources in embedded in social relations
2. Locations in a network or network characteristics (Lin, p. 786)
Differences in capital can occur between groups. One group could be could be disadvantaged in terms of resources (education, soci0conomics, etc.). Groups with similar resource characteristics typically congregate together. This is known as homophily. A social group of similar resources forms a network of members of the same group.
Based on existing research, Lin formulates the following theory for social group differences in social capital:
1. Members of of a group with inferior socioeconomic standing interacting with others in similar social groupings, would be embedded in social networks poorer in resources. Thus this group would have poorer social capital. Members from this social group have networks that are restricted in information and influence.
2. Networks that are resource rich are rich in quantity but also the resources are heterogeneous. Members of this social group gain access to information from diverse socioeconomic positions.
Based on these two tenets of social capital and social networks I am revising my dissertation hypotheses:
-Economically/racially segregated school communities due to their low socioeconomic standing are more likely to be embedded in social networks poorer in resources and have poorer social capital for gaining access to college.
-Thus, economically/racially integrated networks have more resource rich and heterogeneous networks towards college access and gain access to information from diverse socioeconomic positions.
Cross-group ties enable access to better resources and produce better outcomes for those from disadvantaged groups. A sub research question for my dissertation would be, "How do students from economically/racially segregated communities due to their low socioeconomic status gain cross-group ties to access better resources and outcomes towards college access?"
Groups may have similar types and levels of social capital, but the capital may produce different returns for each group. Lin coins this phenomena return deficit. Even though two groups have the same level of capital, one group may receive different returns in status attainment (prestige, earnings, positions in organizations) than the other. This deficit can manifest as differential opportunities where the social structure or institution differentially distributes opportunities for members of social groups. The deficit can also manifest as differential investment, where investment in one group is preferenced over investment in the other. In my research I may find that because of their low soci0economic status, resource poor segregated school communities have less opportunities in the college access pipeline that students from resource rich integrated school communities. Also schools and other facets within the social context may differentially invest in one type of school community over the other, possible resource rich integrated communities receiving more investments than resource poor segregated communities.