Civic Engagement as a Pathway toward Economic Opportunity: A Multimethod Study of Low-income Individuals

This dissertation used a mixed methods research design to examine the immediate and long-term effects of civic engagement on the economic outcomes of low-income individuals. The study was grounded in an asset-based theoretical approach that emphasized the importance of access to social capital and human capital assets for economic opportunity. The quantitative data were drawn from the ten-year longitudinal Making Connections initiative (N=1,139) to examine the long-term impact of civic engagement on employment and income mobility for individuals living in low-income households across seven cities in the United States from 2002--2011. The qualitative data came from 31 semi-structured interviews with low-income individuals who were civically engaged and lived in one of the Making Connections cities, Providence, RI.;This study had three key findings. First, the quantitative data demonstrated that the odds of being employed increased for individuals who became civically engaged over time. One particular measure of civic engagement, giving money to family or friends over time, was associated with an in increase in income. Second, qualitative data revealed that the conditions of the civic engagement experience coupled with structural factors influenced study participants' access to social and human capital more than the form of civic engagement itself. While most forms of civic engagement provided access to social and human capital resources, the conditions and capacity of a civic organization or group influenced whether these resources became assets. Moreover, structural barriers such as discrimination, homelessness, and incarceration diminished the potential value of these social and human capital resources, influencing whether resources could be activated into assets. Third, the qualitative data showed that study participants mobilized the social and human capital assets accessed through civic engagement into employment and education opportunities, particularly when participants' civic experiences and future goals aligned with the assets accrued.;This research demonstrated that civic engagement can influence economic outcomes for low-income individuals when provided access to social and human capital assets. As the public, private, and nonprofit sectors develop policies toward economic mobility for low-income individuals, this research contributes to new knowledge about the ways civic engagement could serve as a mechanism to influence economic opportunity.