CDCS and charitable organizations in the urban south - Mobilizing social capital based on race and religion for neighborhood revitalization

This article examines how community development corporations (CDCs) and oth er nonprofits access social capital when constructing collaborative partner ships for urban revitalization projects. Data from interviews with the dire ctors of CDCs and charitable organizations in Jackson, Mississippi, are use d for the analysis in this research. The findings indicate that the organiz ations studied mobilize two mutually exclusive forms of social capital when pursuing partnerships. In some instances, social capital based on religion is mobilized. In other cases, social capital based on race is mobilized. T he conclusions of the article highlight the relationship between the embedd edness of social capital in local context and the degree to which it can be mobilized to stimulate neighborhood development. Moreover the extent to wh ich social capital is overemphasized in current social science discourse is explored.