Child and Family Teams Building Social Capital for At-Risk Students: A Research Note

Authors

Toby L. Parcel, North Carolina State University
Joan Pennell, North Carolina State University

Keywords

Social capital; child and family teams; family group; at-risk youth; academic outcomes; social adjustment

Abstract

We argue that sociologists interested in social capital theory and social work scholars interested in child and family teams (CFTs) can productively collaborate in studying at-risk youth. Social capital theory suggests dimensions of CFTs that delineate both family meeting intervention and implementation of the resulting plan. These dimensions reflect both bonding and bridging social capital that strengthen and widen supportive networks for students and their families. We develop a model to apply to both academic and social outcomes, specifically to student grades, students' home environments, and overall family functioning. We argue that our framework may be one of substantial generality, and thus useful in studying multiple outcomes for at-risk youth.

Recommended Citation

Parcel, Toby L. and Pennell, Joan (2012) "Child and Family Teams Building Social Capital for At-Risk Students: A Research Note," The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare: Vol. 39: Iss. 2, Article 5.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15453/0191-5096.3667
Available at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/jssw/vol39/iss2/5