Mobilizing Social Capital: a Qualitative and Network Analysis of Human Service Organizations
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University of Northern Colorado Scholarship & Creative Works @ Digital UNC Master's Theses Student Research 5-2018 Mobilizing Social Capital: A Qualitative and Network Analysis of Human Service Organizations Ethan Christian Adams Follow this and additional works at: https://digscholarship.unco.edu/theses Recommended Citation Adams, Ethan Christian, "Mobilizing Social Capital: A Qualitative and Network Analysis of Human Service Organizations" (2018). Master's Theses. 59. https://digscholarship.unco.edu/theses/59 This Text is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Research at Scholarship & Creative Works @ Digital UNC. It has been accepted for inclusion in Master's Theses by an authorized administrator of Scholarship & Creative Works @ Digital UNC. For more information, please contact [email protected]. © 2018 Ethan Christian Adams All Rights Reserved UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN COLORADO Greeley, Colorado The Graduate School MOBILIZING SOCIAL CAPITAL: A QUALITATIVE AND NETWORK ANALYSIS OF HUMAN SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts Ethan Christian Adams Humanities and Social Sciences Sociology May 2018 This Thesis by: Ethan Christian Adams Entitled: Mobilizing Social Capital: A Qualitative and Network Analysis of Human Service Organizations has been approved as meeting the requirement for the Degree of Master of Arts in College of Humanities and Social Sciences in Department Sociology Accepted by the Thesis Committee: _______________________________________________________ Andrew Prelog, Ph.D., Chair _______________________________________________________ Josh Packard, Ph.D., Committee Member Accepted by the Graduate School _____________________________________________________________ Linda L. Black, Ed.D. Associate Provost and Dean Graduate School and International Admissions ABSTRACT Adams, Ethan. Mobilizing Social Capital: A Qualitative and Network Analysis of Human Service Organizations. Unpublished Master of Arts thesis, University of Northern Colorado, 2018. Poverty and homelessness is a social problem that impacts all communities in the U.S. and globally. Social programs that address these issues often focus on mobilizing resources to provide opportunities to increase the social position of their clients and meet their basic needs. Sociological research into this problem, however, has emphasized the influence of social connections in the experiences of individuals in poverty. Social capital is the conceptual representation of actual or potential resources obtained through social network connections. Existing literature regarding social capital has demonstrated that social connections are a critical aspect of human social experience and the ability to overcome obstacles and obtain opportunities for upward social mobility, which may provide an opportunity for individuals to escape poverty. However, much of the literature connecting social capital to homelessness has been directed towards examining the social connections of individuals, and therefore, neglects an analysis of the mobilization of social capital in service organizations. This research addresses this lacuna by examining organizational practices and social network structures in a sample of homeless service providers. The purpose of this study was to analyze the practices of human service organizations that promote the development and utilization of their social network connections. This research thus provides a descriptive review of how organizations mobilize social capital in their community to the benefit of their clients. iii To frame the analysis, I use sociological theories on social capital, resource mobilization, and social networks to investigate the question of how human service organizations leverage their social connections to the benefit of their clients. To investigate this question, I use a thematic analysis of 10 qualitative interviews, with a sample of organizational leaders from 7 organizations, and a sociometric analysis of the network connections between 83 organizations in the sample’s community. The results demonstrate that the organizations use practices that employ social capital to: a) mobilize collective community resources, b) develop trust and reciprocity between providers and clients, c) produce social solidarity between clients and the community, and d) develop social ties that provide social support and opportunities for upward mobility. The findings provide an outline for identifying social capital in organizations, which can be used in future research to evaluate the effectiveness of mobilizing social capital for individuals experiencing periods of poverty and homelessness. Additionally, the results review the challenges and potential benefits of developing organizational networks. This research contributes to sociological theory and academic literature by offering evidence of social capital in connections between entities other than individuals. In conclusion, this study informs social policy and encourages organizations to act as members of a connected network, as opposed to acting as individual service providers. iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This thesis would not have been possible without the support of the people who surround me. Throughout my educational career, there have been certain individuals who have given me the resources to succeed through encouragement, recognition of my potential, and by giving me the knowledge of opportunities and resources. First, I would like to thank my wife, Kim, for her years of support. She encouraged me to continue my education at every level and has supported me throughout my graduate studies. Second, I would like to thank the faculty and professors in the Sociology Department at the University of Northern Colorado for their guidance in and out of the classroom. Specifically, Dr. Harmony Newman, who guided me through the early stages of the research design and Dr. Josh Packard, who provided constructive advice about the conclusions and value of the results. Finally, my gratitude towards Dr. Andrew Prelog, for his guidance as my committee chair, cannot be expressed enough. Throughout the process, he has acted as a counselor and has dedicated an overwhelming amount of time and energy to my success, but most importantly he has served as my mentor and as a close friend who I will always hold in the highest regard. v TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION....................................................................................... 1 RATIONALE FOR STUDY........................................................................ 3 RESEARCH QUESTIONS......................................................................... 4 OUTLINE OF THE THESIS....................................................................... 5 II. BACKGROUND AND THEORETCAL PERSPECTIVES....................... 7 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK............................................................... 7 Pierre Bourdieu: Habitus, Field, and Disposition........................... 7 James Coleman................................................................................ 14 Robert Putnam and Xavier de Souza Briggs.................................... 19 Summary of Social Capital............................................................... 21 Mark Granovetter: Social Networks and Mobilization.................... 23 The Limits of Social Capital............................................................. 27 BACKGROUND......................................................................................... 30 The State of Research on Homelessness.......................................... 30 Homelessness as a Public Issue....................................................... 33 Social Capital and Organizations.................................................... 34 Identifying the Gap in the Literature............................................... 36 CONCLUDING REMARKS AND SUMMARY....................................... 37 III. METHODS.................................................................................................. 38 RESEARCH DESIGN................................................................................. 38 RESEARCH SITES AND PARTICIPANT SELECTION.......................... 40 DATA COLLECTION PROCESS.............................................................. 47 DATA ANALYSIS PROCESS................................................................... 47 Coding and Thematic Analysis......................................................... 47 Network Analysis.............................................................................. 48 CREDIBILITY AND TRANSFERABILITY............................................. 50 INSTITUTIONAL REVIEW BOARD........................................................ 51 THE ROLE AND BACKGROUND OF THE RESEARCHER.................. 52 CONCLUDING REMARKS AND SUMMARY....................................... 53 vi IV. ANALYSIS AND RESULTS...................................................................... 54 OVERVIEW................................................................................................ 54 SOCIAL CAPITAL..................................................................................... 56 Bourdieu........................................................................................... 56 Coleman........................................................................................... 61 Briggs and Putnam..........................................................................