Coleman Social Capital Analysis

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The concept of social capital highlights the benefits of strong relationships within the family and the social community in which one resides. James Coleman, the sociologist who proposed this concept, states that an availability of social capital can strongly influence an individual's educational advancement (Colman, 1988). It could lead to more human capital, which is what he identifies as the level of education one receives or the skills one acquires. Two subcategories stem from social capital: social capital within the family and social capital outside the family (Coleman, 1988). These two types of social capital can help one achieve social mobility. Social capital within the family relies heavily on the relationship between the child …show more content…
Coleman notes that some factors, such as the frequency of conversation within the family, supposedly should contribute to social capital, but actually does not (Coleman, 1988). This may indicate that the effects of social capital can have different degrees of influence depending on each family. Many immigrant families have both parents working full time jobs, which ultimately limit the amount of time they can spend with their children; however, it does not necessarily mean that those children will fail to achieve higher education. It is likely that immigrant parents who work long hours also do not have high paying careers (Yoshikawa). In these cases, it seems that the personal characteristics of an individual also play a role in determining achievements in school (Dweck, 2006). Factors such as the mentality of the individual and also the family can drive the educational path to go a certain way. Immigrant optimism is an idea that relates to this type of scenario (Kao, Vaquera, and Goyette 121). The student has a different "frame of reference" to compare themselves to other nonimmigrant students. They believe that once they overcame the obstacles they face as immigrant families they will be able to succeed (Kao Vaquera, and Goyette, 121). In situations like these, I feel as though they are not necessarily successful because of their interpersonal relationships, but because of their enduring