Why Does It Take a Village? The Mediation of Neighborhood Effects on Educational Achievement

Abstract

The urban and educational literature has recently begun to focus on the increase of concentrated povertyin inner-city neighborhoods and the educational failure ofyouth often associated with livingin these neighborhoods. The currentstudy examines this issue by identifying which neighborhood characteristics influence educational achievementand what mechanisms mediate these associations. Using the National Educational Longitudinal Study of 1988 linked to 1990 census information at the neighborhood level, the currentstudyfinds not only that neighborhood characteristics predicteducational outcomes but also that the strength ofthe predictions often rivals that associated with more commonly citedfamily-and school-related factors. When considering how neighborhood characteristics influence educational outcomes, theorists have proposed several mediating processes, including collective socialization, social control, social capital, perception of opportunity, and institutionalcharacteristics. The currentstudy reveals that these mediators account for about40% of the neighborhood effecton educational achievement, with collective socialization having the strongest influence. Also discussed are the theoretical and policyimplications ofthis study and directions for future research.Increasing concentration of poverty in urban areas over the last thirty years has renewed interest in the effects of neighborhood-level conditions on the well-being of residents (Massey

The Development of a Standardized Neighborhood Deprivation Index

“…Based on a review of literature, we identified 20 census variables that have been used consistently to approximate neighborhood-level environments for possible inclusion in the deprivation index. These measures included the following * : one education variable, 47,48 two employment, 49,50 five housing, [51][52][53] four variables representing occupation, 10,54 five poverty, [55][56][57][58] one racial composition, 51,59 and two residential stability.…”

The Effect of Neighborhood Context on the College Aspirations of African American Adolescents

“…These multidisciplinary studies explore the impact of neighborhood characteristics, especially neighborhood socioeconomic status, on adolescents' developmental trajectories. They have linked neighborhood characteristics to a number of cognitive and behavioral outcomes, such as low academic achievement, educational failure, dropping out of high school, teenage childbearing, and delinquency (Ainsworth, 2002;E. Anderson, 1999;Brooks-Gunn et al, 1993, 1997Bursik & Grasmick, 1993;Catsambis & Beveridge, 2001;Crane, 1991;Duncan, Brooks-Gunn, & Klebanov, 1994;Simons, Simons, Burt, Brody, & Cutrona, 2005;South & Baumer, 2000;South, Baumer, & Lutz, 2003;Sucoff & Upchurch, 1998).…”

Neighbourhood Effects on Youth Educational Achievement in the Netherlands: Can Effects Be Identified and Do They Vary by Student Background Characteristics?

“…Researchers from a range of disciplines have investigated whether individuals' social, cognitive, health, and behavioural outcomes are influenced by the places they live. Children and adolescents have been the focus of much of this research, with educational outcomes being one of the key areas of interest (Ainsworth, 2002;Leventhal and Brooks-Gunn, 2000;Oliver et al, 2007). Neighbourhoods are thought to be particularly relevant for young people, as many spend a vast amount of their time thereöresiding, socialising with friends, participating in local activities, and often attending local schools and day care centres.…”

“…Evidence of neighbourhood effects is thought to be particularly strong when educational outcomes are considered (Leventhal and Brooks-Gunn, 2000), with studies documenting area-based influences on outcomes such as educational attainment (Duncan, 1994), dropping out of school (Crane, 1991), and test scores (Ainsworth, 2002). Although the research field is younger in Europe, a small but growing base of European evidence also supports the notion that neighbourhood conditions may have independent effects on individual educational outcomes.…”