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Multiethnic neighbourhoods as sites of social capital formation

Examining social to political ‘integration’ in schools

Department of Geography, York University

In an idealdemocratic society, publicly funded schools serve many purposes. Aside from its educational mandate, schools are places for neighbourhood integration, social capital formation and the fostering of civil society. For newly arrived immigrants, especially those with young children, schools are important sites of settlement experiences. During the past near decade, however, rapid restructuring of the public education system in Ontario has led to many changes in these ideals. Within the landscape of this wider transformation, this article critically explores how different forms of social capital are produced in schools and accessed by recent immigrants. Based on a spatial-network framework developed earlier this article examines not only how immigrants participate in the daily life of their local institutions; but whether these links are powerful enough to translate into purposeful political effects as well. The outcomes that arise from this neighbourhood-based exercise are crucial in reflecting on a larger ethical question – how do states determine who is and who is not entitled to membership in society?

Key Words: neighbourhood • schools • immigrants • social capital

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