| This research study explored the nature of the relationship between neighborhood organizations and schools using social capital theory as the conceptual framework. The researcher chose a qualitative multiple case study design to examine three neighborhoods within the same city, their respective neighborhood organizations and the public schools within each neighborhood's boundary.; The researcher found that the neighborhood organizations in this study help build social capital through the bonding ties they create with one another, and the bridging ties they form with other organizations and with local public schools. The positive impact of those ties for neighborhood social health, and for the maintenance and improvement of neighborhoods, can be found within each community. This finding adds to what has already been written related to neighborhood organizations and the concept of social capital.; The researcher also found that neighborhood organizations faced significant barriers in their attempts to use the bridging ties of social capital to connect with schools in the community. One of the most problematic of those barriers was the attitude of the schools' personnel themselves to matters they believed to be outside of the school gate and therefore beyond their consideration. Nonetheless, the neighborhood organizations did find ways to interact with the schools and some positive impacts have been documented.; The concept of enlightened self-interest, rather than simple self-interest or community spiritedness, was found to be a motivator for neighborhood organization members. This finding adds to the existing literature on both social capital and neighborhood organizations, and is significant for future research on why and how social capital is built in communities. |
