Coping Through Social Capital in Educational Stratification : Relational Alignment and Complementary Ties

Abstract

This paper attempts to refine the theory of social capital in educational research. This study emphasizes functional specificity of the support by parents and school as two primary source of social capital to adolescents. After a review of theories on various forms of capital regarding stratification process, this study, first, introduces the concept of relational alignment as reflecting functional specificity of social capital drawing on Wisconsin status attainment model (Sewell et al. 1969), Coleman's theory of social capital (1988) and aligned ambition (Schneider and Stevenson 1999). Second, based on complementarity principal of interpersonal or inter-organizational network development pattern (Lauman, Galaskiewicz and Marsden 1978), complementary extra-group ties is proposed as a social capital strategy through which parents and schools can effectively bridge resources and information specific to adolescents' goals, enabling them to make informed choices about their future. One empirical application for each theoretical concept is discussed in the context of transition to college education in the US and one empirical application for relational alignment is discussed in terms of school academic performance in Korea.