Interwoven or unraveling? The significance of social capital in rural schools and communities
Abstract
Sociologists have long documented how social capital may activate resources that undergird collective efforts to achieve positive educational and community outcomes. However, many rural communities across the United States are in decline and have struggled with generating social capital to address school and community needs. In the literature, schools are often described as vital to generating social capital in rural communities, but few researchers have empirically investigated rural school leaders’ perceptions of social capital. This gap in the literature is significant because rural school leaders are thought to have a central role in facilitating social capital in rural communities. This study investigated rural principals’ perceptions of social capital by focusing on how principals describe the mechanisms underlying social capital availability in their communities, the quality of the social bonds between the school and community, and the level of closure between the school and community. The primary source of data was qualitative interviews (n = 24) with principals from different school districts in Oklahoma who were selected based on a stratified random sample of rural schools in the state. Findings suggested that linkages between schools, school families, and nonparent community members contribute to the availability of social capital. Differences in these community attributes also appeared to be consequential. In settings where school leaders indicated elevated levels of existing social capital, schools had social resources that could be leveraged to support school and community initiatives. By contrast, low purported levels of social capital were coupled with eroding interconnectedness and possible acceleration of declining conditions. Despite these differing characterizations, schools were consistently understood to have a primary role in generating social resources within the community. This study contributes to existing literature by using qualitative methods to advance knowledge of social capital from the perspective of rural school leaders who are considered at the epicenter of many rural communities. It also sheds light on the interplay of school and community attributes that may contribute to differences in social conditions and resources in rural communities.
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