{"id":{"repo_id":"mit","oai_identifier":"oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/17680"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/mit/oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/17680","repository":{"repo_id":"mit","name":"MIT","base_url":"https://dspace.mit.edu/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Bridge building : afterschool activities, youth social networks, and community development","abstract":"In recent years, U.S. cities have dramatically increased funding for afterschool activities. These afterschool programs may contribute to community development by expanding social networks, providing new channels for the flow of information and resources to low income neighborhoods. Drawing on research and literature from the fields of sociology, political science and adolescent development, I develop an argument for this hypothesis. The theory is tested using both qualitative data collected from interviews at three case study sites, and quantitative data from surveys distributed to afterschool youth programs in the Boston area. I find that afterschool programs build both bridging and bonding social capital by increasing local and extra-local connections between adolescents and adults, peers, and parents. Policy recommendations designed to increase the social network impact of afterschool programming are provided.","abstract_html":"In recent years, U.S. cities have dramatically increased funding for afterschool activities. These afterschool programs may contribute to community development by expanding social networks, providing new channels for the flow of information and resources to low income neighborhoods. Drawing on research and literature from the fields of sociology, political science and adolescent development, I develop an argument for this hypothesis. The theory is tested using both qualitative data collected from interviews at three case study sites, and quantitative data from surveys distributed to afterschool youth programs in the Boston area. I find that afterschool programs build both bridging and bonding social capital by increasing local and extra-local connections between adolescents and adults, peers, and parents. Policy recommendations designed to increase the social network impact of afterschool programming are provided.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Forman, Benjamin"],"institution":"Massachusetts Institute of Technology","degree_name":null,"degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":"Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning.","school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Phillip L. Clay."],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2004,"date_issued":"2004","date_published":"2004","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:22:06Z","subjects":["Urban Studies and Planning."],"languages":["eng"],"rights":["M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission."],"rights_urls":["http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582"],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/17680","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Phillip L. Clay."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.department","label":"Department","values":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.other","label":"Dc Contributor Other","values":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning."]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Forman, Benjamin"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2005-06-02T18:13:58Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2005-06-02T18:13:58Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2004"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Urban Studies and Planning."]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["eng"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission."]},{"key":"dc:rights.uri","label":"Rights URI","values":["http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/17680"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description","label":"Description","values":["Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2004.","\"June 2004.\"","Includes bibliographical references (p. 97-105)."]},{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["In recent years, U.S. cities have dramatically increased funding for afterschool activities. These afterschool programs may contribute to community development by expanding social networks, providing new channels for the flow of information and resources to low income neighborhoods. Drawing on research and literature from the fields of sociology, political science and adolescent development, I develop an argument for this hypothesis. The theory is tested using both qualitative data collected from interviews at three case study sites, and quantitative data from surveys distributed to afterschool youth programs in the Boston area. I find that afterschool programs build both bridging and bonding social capital by increasing local and extra-local connections between adolescents and adults, peers, and parents. Policy recommendations designed to increase the social network impact of afterschool programming are provided."]},{"key":"dc:description.degree","label":"Dc Description Degree","values":["M.C.P."]},{"key":"dc:format.mimetype","label":"Dc Format Mimetype","values":["application/pdf"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Bridge building : afterschool activities, youth social networks, and community development"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["Phillip L. Clay."],"dc:contributor.department":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning."],"dc:contributor.other":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning."],"dc:creator":["Forman, Benjamin"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2005-06-02T18:13:58Z"],"dc:date.available":["2005-06-02T18:13:58Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2004"],"dc:description":["Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2004.","\"June 2004.\"","Includes bibliographical references (p. 97-105)."],"dc:description.abstract":["In recent years, U.S. cities have dramatically increased funding for afterschool activities. These afterschool programs may contribute to community development by expanding social networks, providing new channels for the flow of information and resources to low income neighborhoods. Drawing on research and literature from the fields of sociology, political science and adolescent development, I develop an argument for this hypothesis. The theory is tested using both qualitative data collected from interviews at three case study sites, and quantitative data from surveys distributed to afterschool youth programs in the Boston area. I find that afterschool programs build both bridging and bonding social capital by increasing local and extra-local connections between adolescents and adults, peers, and parents. Policy recommendations designed to increase the social network impact of afterschool programming are provided."],"dc:description.degree":["M.C.P."],"dc:format.mimetype":["application/pdf"],"dc:identifier.uri":["http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/17680"],"dc:language.iso":["eng"],"dc:publisher":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology"],"dc:rights":["M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission."],"dc:rights.uri":["http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582"],"dc:subject":["Urban Studies and Planning."],"dc:title":["Bridge building : afterschool activities, youth social networks, and community development"],"dc:type":["Thesis"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:22:06Z"}