Abstract

Past research has examined how certain amounts of social capital impact business owners. Access to diverse social networks, social support, and resources make running a viable business easier for some. Although literature points to these benefits as factors for operating a successful business, Black women often do not have the same levels of social capital necessary when they become business owners. Research specifically related to Black women business owners’ social capital and how it relates to their business success, is limited, so we know less about how Black women respond to potential social capital challenges. Using 20 in-depth interviews, I utilize an intersectional framework to critically examine how Black women’s access to limited social capital creates business related challenges. I find that race, class, and gender impact how Black women owners engage in this process. Respondents restructure their social networks, join professional organizations catered to women and people of color, and use community involvement to their advantage. This study adds to our current understanding of Black women’s entrepreneurial pursuits and their specific challenges.

摘要

过去的研究检查了一定数量的社会资本如何影响企业主。对各种社交网络，社交支持和资源的访问使某些人可以轻松开展可行的业务。尽管文献指出这些好处是经营成功的因素，但黑人妇女成为企业主时往往没有必要的社会资本水平。与黑人女性企业主的社会资本及其与企业成功的关系具体相关的研究是有限的，因此我们对黑人女性如何应对潜在的社会资本挑战的了解较少。通过20次深入访谈，我利用一个交叉框架严谨地考察了黑人妇女获得有限的社会资本的方式如何带来与业务相关的挑战。我发现那个种族，阶级，和性别影响黑人女性拥有者如何参与这一过程。受访者重组了他们的社交网络，加入了针对妇女和有色人种的专业组织，并利用社区参与为其带来了优势。这项研究增加了我们对黑人妇女的创业追求及其特定挑战的当前理解。