An analysis of the relationship between teachers' work culture and the school's social context is the purpose of this study, with a focus on teachers' shared psychological work orientations as components of a teacher culture. The methodology relates high school teachers' attitudes in two high schools to different social contexts with the cultural attributes that affect teacher participation in schoolwide decision making. School social context is defined by educators' and students' perceptions of the school's level of safety. The sample includes 19 high schools from 13 school districts chosen because of a concern about increasing Latino gang activity in the schools. Data were collected from surveys of 150 to 250 students and 13 to 15 randomly selected teachers, and from interviews with administrators and counselors. Findings indicate that teachers in schools with unfavorable social contexts, unlike teachers in schools with favorable social contexts, lack the psychological conditions necessary for effective participation in decision making. Teachers in unfavorable cultures feel alienated from their schools, which is antithetical to collaboration. A long- term implication is that cultural transformation is necessary for increased teacher involvement. However, the problems that initially created unfavorable school contexts must also be addressed. Tables present statistical substantiation of the findings. An extensive bibliography is provided. (LMI)