Giving Compass' Take:

•  After analyzing over 30,000 interpersonal network configurations in the city of Charlotte, NC, researchers assessed their value regarding access to opportunities in jobs, education, and housing. 

• How can donors help create more equitable networks across diverse groups of individuals? 

• Learn how big bets in philanthropy can advance social mobility. 

Charlotte, North Carolina, is a city rich with opportunities, but those opportunities are not equitably shared. In 2014, Charlotte placed 50th out of 50 in a ranking of cities for upward mobility. Now the city aspires to be a horizon community, one where all can rise. Social networks, providing access to support, information, power and resources, are a critical and often neglected element of opportunity structures. Social capital matters for mobility.

We analyzed over 30,000 interpersonal network configurations in the city, drawing on rich data from 177 representative residents of Charlotte. These networks were then evaluated for size (i.e., number of people), breadth (i.e., range of connection types, such as familial or professional) and strength (i.e., the value of connection as a source of assistance). We compared social networks by demographic group, especially race, income, and gender. In particular, we assessed networks in terms of their value for access to opportunities and resources in three domains: jobs, education, and housing.

Read the full report about social networks by Camille Busette, Tonya Farrow-Chestnut, Richard V. Reeve, Kwadwo Frimpong, and Hao Sun at Brookings.