Making Connections in Middle-Class Suburbs? Low-Income Mexican Immigrant Young Men, Social Capital, and Pathways to High School Graduation
editThis study explores access to social capital for low-income Mexican immigrant young men in a middle-class suburb and how social capital influences educational attainment. In-depth interviews with 20 Mexican immigrant young men in one Chicago suburb provide insights into how network composition is shaped by structures within high school. Findings also highlight how respondents’ diverse and nonlinear educational pathways, in turn, are shaped by characteristics of their social networks. Implications for future research are discussed.