The Michigan Families Project: A Study of Faculty - Citizen Social Capital Development in an Engaged Partnership

Year Awarded: 2002
Project Leaders:
David R. Imig, MSU Department of Family and Child Ecology, Theresa Silm, MSU Extension Clinton County, Jodi Spicer, MSU Extension CYF Programs, Ruth Miller, MSU Extension Saginaw County

Project Description:
This project has two purposes. The first is to develop a statewide network of CYF partners to establish a sustainable Internet-based, longitudinal data collection system to enhance the engaged research capacity of the institution, faculty, communities and families. The second is to study the social capital mechanism inherent in the formation of an engaged university-community partnership that allows for the faculty partners to be institutionally productive, and for the citizen partners to generate information and knowledge that has meaning and practical application for them.

Our objectives are to: establish a state-wide network of community partners engaged with the Michigan Families Project, to identify research foci meaningful to the project partners, to establish a sustainable Internet-based system and methodology for the longitudinal collection, analysis, dissemination and application of CYF data in communities, and to describe social capital formation, and identify the mechanisms of reciprocity and trust that act to sustain the partnership.

Proposed outcomes are to: establish a collaborative, longitudinal research program that creates a CYF database for the purposes of enhancing the quality of scholarship (FCE), family decision-making (citizens), community programming (MSUE), and public policy (ICYF) and to establish an engaged learning community through virtual sharing and the interpretation of information that has meaning for communities, families, and scholars.

Recent Developments:

The Internet offers a tremendous opportunity to bring together the collective work and knowledge of children, youth and family organizations in the state of Michigan.

To realize this potential, members of The Michigan Families Project will use their FACT grant for two purposes:

1. To establish an Internet based survey collection system for use by a statewide network of children youth and family partners, and
2. To examine how social capital factors into engaged university-community partnerships and information exchange.

"Working together, families and scholars need to figure out how to use the Internet to their advantage in an active and more deterministic manner," said David Imig, project co-leader and professor of Family and Child Ecology, "The Internet can be more than a huge search engine."

The project is unique because it will work with Michigan families from start to finish. Partners from Family & Child Ecology, the Institute of Children Youth and Families, and MSU Extension will construct surveys in consultation with families. The project partners want to insure that this study of social capital is relevant and meaningful to Michigan citizens and any Internet based network that is created will address the needs of researchers, academics, and citizens.

"By involving families in the creation of the information being studied we can be confident that whatever is identified will be highly relevant to those families," said Imig.

The team will involve families through focus groups, interviews and informational seminars before beginning study of identified topics and construction of an Internet based network.

Collaborators envision a network that will enhance scholarship, family decision-making, community programming and public policy through a virtual sharing and interpretation of information that has meaning for communities, families and scholars.