COMMUNITY ACTIVISM IN OAK PARK: COMPETING AGENDAS ...

in low-income neighborhoods. Among the resources that the lower-income residents
draw upon to implement survival strategies are those provided by their kin and friends
and by the contacts they develop within the formal associations they belong to.
Lower-income residents utilize resources from the groups they have access to or
are socially integrated into, such as networks or organizations, or more specifically, what
is sometimes called ‘social capital’ (Wacquant and Wilson 1989:22). The lower-income
residents develop social ties among each other in a variety of ways, such as through
strengthening relationships through reciprocity and sharing information. Forms of gift-
giving and acts of reciprocity are common between residents in low-income
communities. Trust is built between residents when reciprocity occurs. The acts of
giving are group affairs, premised on reciprocity and the gift-giving helps unify groups,
generations, and kin in the neighborhood. In Oak Park, the poor depend on their kin,
friends, churches and on social services to survive.
Likewise, the poor tend to have less education, more illness, higher
unemployment, and lower paying jobs, so it is reasonable that they utilize community
services and resources that are in close proximity to their residences. But it is also
uncommon for them to participate in community groups, meetings, and initiatives. When
the poor do participate in community groups and attend community meetings they do not
usually participate over long periods of time. Many of these individuals simply do not
have the resources necessary for long-term participation. Although the poor do build
social networks, extremely poor residents have fewer social ties. In short, the lower-
income have lower volumes of social capital (Wacquant and Wilson 1989:23) and,
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