NEW KID IN TOWN - SOCIAL CAPITAL AND THE LIFE-COURSE EFFECTS OF FAMILY MIGRATION ON CHILDREN

In a national and international economy that requires fluid movement o f both labor and capital, it is important to know that families and ot her helping institutions can mitigate the losses of social capital tha t may accompany family migration. Coleman's (1990) theory of social ca pital emphasizes the roles of mothers and fathers in enhancing the lif e prospects of their children. However Coleman's (1988) analysis of fa mily migration and high school completion found an anomalous null effe ct of parental support. Elder's (1994) life course perspective on ''li nked lives'' suggests that parental involvement with their children ca n have interactive effects as well as main effects in mitigating losse s of community social capital resulting from a family's moves. Followi ng this lead and using more elaborate measures, we find that the negat ive effects of family migration are significantly more pronounced in f amilies with uninvolved fathers and unsupportive mothers. In these fam ilies the diminished social capital provided by parents does not compe nsate for the community social capital lost as a result of a family's move.