Peer-reviewed article
Older Neighbors and The Neighborhood Context of Child Well‐Being: Pathways to Enhancing Social Capital for Children
Brooke V. Jespersen, Jill E. Korbin, James C. Spilsbury ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study examined how older neighbors contribute to child well-being in neighborhoods by analyzing interviews with 400 parents in Cleveland, Ohio. Researchers found that non-kin older neighbors enhance neighborhood quality for children through three main pathways: supporting parents and children, promoting safety, and contributing to residential stability. These contributions build social capital in neighborhoods, which can improve child outcomes. The research highlights the under-studied role of intergenerational relationships in supporting families and children at the neighborhood level.
Key points
- Non-kin older neighbors enhance neighborhood social capital through intergenerational closure, reciprocated exchange, and informal social control
- Older neighbors provide direct support to parents and children in their neighborhoods
- Older neighbors contribute to perceived neighborhood safety
- Older neighbors enhance residential stability in neighborhoods
- 113 of 400 parents (28%) explicitly connected older neighbors to neighborhood quality for families and children
Limitations
This study is qualitative and descriptive, based on parent perceptions and narratives rather than direct observation or measurement of child well-being outcomes. The research does not establish causal relationships between older neighbors and actual improvements in child development or health.
Abstract
Drawing on Coleman's concept of social capital, researchers have investigated how the quality of neighborhood social networks influences child development and well-being. The role of non-kin older neighbors in advancing child well-being through the enhancement of social capital, however, has been under-studied. Our objective was to delineate specific pathways through which non-kin older neighbors contribute to neighborhood quality for children and families and potentially advance child well-being. We examined open-ended interview data from 400 parents who cared for at least one child under 18 years of age and resided in 20 neighborhoods in Cleveland, Ohio. A subsample of 113 parents connected older neighbors to neighborhood quality for families and children in their narratives. Our analysis identified three primary pathways through which parents positively linked older neighbors to neighborhood quality: older neighbors support parents and children, promote neighborhood safety, and contribute to neighborhood residential stability. These contributions are evidence of intergenerational closure, reciprocated exchange, and informal social control working together to create social capital in neighborhoods for children. It is by enhancing social capital that older neighbors potentially improve child well-being. We discuss the implications of our findings for neighborhood research and practice.