Natural Allies or Natural Enemies? The Evolution of Participant Self-interest in Community-based Organizations

Diverse families are increasingly turning to community-based organizations (CBOs) as a means to further support their children’s education.  In particular, CBOs appear to be effective at mobilizing families that diverge from the so-called norm in order to influence educational change.  Research indicates that these organizations can have a positive impact on student outcomes but as independent actors, their relationships with schools remain complicated since they operate outside of school and district control.  In order to better understand the dynamic relationships that emerge between educators and diverse families in CBOs, this paper uses an ethnographic case study approach to explore the initial motivations for participation of members in three different CBOs and the process that they use to determine their shared actions.  The findings revealed that while individuals’ initial involvement was primarily based on self-interests, strong network ties, and perceived organizational effectiveness; the strategies and initiatives that were eventually implemented were more broadly defined and addressed larger systematic issues.  In addition to offering diverse families an alternative means for engaging with schools, participants became committed to broader educational change making the potential for school and CBO partnerships more likely in the future.