Critical Friendship and the Creation of Social Capital Among Youth

• In Event: Coconstructing Positive Educational Outcomes for Youth

Abstract

This paper defines and identifies the elements of critical friendship – a concept introduced by dissertation research on the role of peer networks on educational achievement for youth participating in a community-based youth organization. Using qualitative data from the original study, this paper illustrates how high school and college youth created a form of social capital that supported their educational success. Critical friendship challenges prevailing ideas on youth and social capital, and is offered as an alternative paradigm for educational success. This paper also prompts discussion on how educational spaces can support the development of critical friends among youth.

Author

• Tanya Wiggins, Harlem Educational Activities Fund, Inc.