Collective Efficacy and Socioeconomic Status A Study of Three Neighborhoods

Marissa Krumm

Date of Award

2007

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Social Sciences

First Advisor

Brain, David

Keywords

Collective Efficacy, Socioeconomic Status, Social Organization, Community, Social Capital

Area of Concentration

Sociology

Abstract

This thesis explores some of the literature on social capital and social disorganization theory and posits that socioeconomic status, as well as relative geographic location, may either impede or facilitate conditions for collective efficacy, or the shared belief of the collective in its capability to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes. The general hypothesis is that three structural factors--low economic status, heterogeneity of the neighborhood, and residential instability--weaken social ties and therefore also the shared expectations and willingness among neighbors to intervene on behalf of the "common good". This may in turn have direct effects on communities' differential abilities to access resources, uphold social norms pertaining to interpersonal violence and other high-risk behaviors, and even the affective state of individuals. Through the collection and analysis of survey and Census data on three neighborhoods in Sarasota, Florida, the results of this study generally support previous research on social disorganization theory, stressing the centrality of residential stability in the formation of efficacious social relations and hinting toward the importance of perceived homogeneity in using Census tract data to predict collective efficacy levels.

Rights

This bibliographic record is available under the Creative Commons CC0 public domain dedication. The New College of Florida, as creator of this bibliographic record, has waived all rights to it worldwide under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights, to the extent allowed by law.

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