Stories of Becoming: The Interplay between Social Capital and Youth Narrative Identity Development

Background and Purpose: This study centers youth narrative identity development as a lens for understanding how young people perceive, access, and mobilize social capital to pursue educational and career goals. While social capital is often studied in structural terms, this research examines the role of narrative identity development and meaning making in social capital. Narrative identity development refers to how one makes meaning of their experiences and constructs a sense of self that connects past, present, and imagined futures. This study examines how interactions within social capital networks serve as turning points in narrative identity development, and how shifts in identity guide youth to activate, re-evaluate, or disengage from these networks. It also considers how intersecting identities influence both narrative identity and patterns of engagement.

Methods: This study draws from a larger youth participatory research initiative exploring how youth define, build, and access social capital. Ten participants from five community organizations completed ten virtual sessions and one 60-minute individual interview. Five interviews were selected for in-depth narrative analysis based on the clarity of self-event connections. Thematic and pattern coding were used to identify self-event connections in which youth linked experiences within their social capital networks to shifts in narrative identity. Each connection was coded for (1) beliefs before and after the shift, (2) direction of identity change, (3) what or who in the network contributed to the shift, (4) intersecting identity dimensions (e.g., racial identity, immigration experiences, gender), and (5) impacts on social capital engagement. Within-case analysis and causal network mapping were used to trace the reciprocal relationship between identity and social capital activation.

Results: Across interviews, youth described self-event connections that shaped both identity and engagement. Moments of affirmation, responsibility, or connection shifted youth perception of their current identity and future possibilities, leading to increased activation of social capital networks including developing deeper relationships, increased support-seeking, and a desire to support other’s development of social capital. In contrast, experiences of exclusion or invisibility reinforced limiting beliefs and led to disengagement, even when support was available. Across narratives, a feedback loop emerged: (1) youth identified self-event connections that shifted how they saw themselves; (2) these shifts influenced how they activated, re-evaluated, or withdrew from their networks; and (3) the stories they constructed about who they were and who they were becoming guided future engagement. Experiences that affirmed identity or deepened emotional connection appeared especially influential in activating social capital.

Implications: This study offers youth-driven insight into how young people engage with social capital as both a structural resource and a site of personal meaning-making tied to identity. How young people interpret their experiences shapes how they see themselves and engage with the networks around them. Framing social capital as both structural and narrative offers a more nuanced understanding of how young people navigate, make meaning of, and mobilize support. Recognizing this dynamic invites researchers and practitioners to consider not just what support is offered, but how it is experienced and integrated into young people’s evolving sense of self.