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.

中文翻译：

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年长的邻居和儿童福祉的邻里环境：增强儿童社会资本的途径

借鉴科尔曼的社会资本概念，研究人员调查了邻里社交网络的质量如何影响儿童的发展和福祉。然而，非亲属年长邻居通过增强社会资本在促进儿童福祉方面的作用尚未得到充分研究。我们的目标是描绘非亲属年长邻居为儿童和家庭提高邻里质量并可能提高儿童福祉的具体途径。我们检查了来自 400 名父母的开放式访谈数据，这些父母至少照顾一名 18 岁以下的孩子，居住在俄亥俄州克利夫兰的 20 个街区。113 名父母的子样本在他们的叙述中将年长的邻居与家庭和儿童的邻里质量联系起来。我们的分析确定了父母将年长邻居与邻里质量积极联系起来的三种主要途径：年长邻居支持父母和孩子，促进邻里安全，并有助于邻里居住稳定。这些贡献是代际封闭、互惠交换和非正式社会控制共同作用为儿童在社区中创造社会资本的证据。正是通过增强社会资本，年长的邻居才有可能改善儿童的福祉。我们讨论了我们的发现对邻里研究和实践的影响。这些贡献是代际封闭、互惠交换和非正式社会控制共同作用为儿童在社区中创造社会资本的证据。正是通过增强社会资本，年长的邻居才有可能改善儿童的福祉。我们讨论了我们的发现对邻里研究和实践的影响。这些贡献是代际封闭、互惠交换和非正式社会控制共同作用为儿童在社区中创造社会资本的证据。正是通过增强社会资本，年长的邻居才有可能改善儿童的福祉。我们讨论了我们的发现对邻里研究和实践的影响。