Finding a Seat at the Table: How Race Shapes Access to Social Capital

Abstract

Leaders of multiracial churches serve an important role between religious institutions and their members. As a bridge between social networks, they develop connections that ease the flow of resources across a diverse array of groups. Therefore, it is imperative to understand if racial differences exist in how leaders access the social and material resources embedded in racially homogenous organizations, peer networks, and institutions. An in-depth analysis of 121 head clergy interviews from the Religious Leadership and Diversity Project (RLDP) reveals that access to social capital is constrained when white leaders hoard resources and assign symbolic value to positions held by leaders of color. Findings of this study suggest the need for further investigation of racial inequality reproduction via the mechanism of differences in social capital.