SOCIAL-ISOLATION OF THE URBAN-POOR - RACE, CLASS, AND NEIGHBORHOOD EFFECTS ON SOCIAL RESOURCES

We focus on the effects of race, class, and neighborhood on social iso lation. Using data from households in Atlanta, Georgia, we compare poo r and nonpoor African Americans to nonpoor whites on two types of soci al ties and the social resources inherent in those ties. We find that poverty has an important influence on the social resources available t o African Americans in and outside of their household. Poor blacks are less likely than other blacks and nonpoor whites to live with another adult, to have even one per son outside the household with whom they discuss important matters (a discussion partner), or to have a college -educated person in their discussion network. Higher neighborhood pove rty reduces the size of the discussion network for whites and blacks a nd affects the probabilities of having any kind of social contacts. Im portant for the social isolation thesis is our finding that among Afri can Americans, living in a very poor neighborhood increases social iso lation and reduces access to social resources via one's network of clo se ties.