Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Creating Networks For Survival And Mobility: Social Capital Among African-American And Latin-American Low-Income Mothers, Silvia Domínguez, Celeste Watkins

Silvia Domínguez

In this article, we examine the social networks of low-income mothers, using a conceptual framework that differentiates social networks that offer support from those that yield leverage. This ethnographic analysis pays particular attention to how respondents generate social capital to obtain resources for survival and social mobility. Respondents identified at least three issues beyond resource constraints that work alone or in combination to positively or negatively influence their use of family as sources of social support: physical proximity, reciprocity, and family tensions. We also explore the conditions under which respondents generate social support through friendships and non-profit institutions. We find …