The Development and Practices of Social Capital Resources among Brazilian Students in Dublin

Abstract

The paper explores the development and practices of social capital resources among Brazilian students in Dublin, using the concept of social capital as a framework for analysis. The paper draws on the social capital framework developed by Portes and Sensenbrenner (1993), which helps explain four social capital sources, namely: value introjections, bounded solidarity, reciprocity transactions, and enforceable trust. The evidence presented below emerges from thirteen semi-structured interviews conducted with Brazilian students living in Dublin. This qualitative study used a case study methodology (Yin, 2009). Several themes related to value introjections, bounded solidarity, reciprocity transactions, and enforceable trust emerged from the data. These themes did not vary by gender or age, however, they were more likely to occur at the household level than the community level. Reciprocity transactions and bounded solidarity varied according to social ties, level of English, and length of stay. However, there was little evidence to support the idea that value introjections and enforceable trust varied by social ties or length of stay. This article offers both original empirical and theoretical contributions to the field of social capital studies in the context of international student migration.