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Building racial bridges? Social capital among community gardeners in US food deserts
Author(s) -
Jettner Jennifer F.,
Secret Mary C.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
international journal of social welfare
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.664
H-Index - 47
eISSN - 1468-2397
pISSN - 1369-6866
DOI - 10.1111/ijsw.12429
Subject(s) - race (biology) , social capital , diversity (politics) , geography , racial diversity , sense of community , snowball sampling , capital (architecture) , capital city , sociology , socioeconomics , demographic economics , economics , social science , gender studies , economic geography , mathematics , archaeology , anthropology , statistics
This study examined the relationship between race and racial diversity on social capital in community gardens located in food deserts in the southeastern region of the USA. Using snowball methods, a sample of 52 gardeners who represented 10 community gardens was obtained. Cross‐level regression models were performed using two different aspects of social capital: one’s “sense of community” and the “number of resources” a gardener could obtain from fellow gardeners, as dependent variables. Results indicate that community gardens are excellent vehicles for promoting one’s sense of community regardless of one’s race or a garden’s racial composition. In contrast, community gardens were less likely to increase the number of resources. It took longer and more effort to access a greater number of resources while increased perceptions of racial diversity had a negative relationship with number of resources.