The role of social capital in students’ perceptions of progress in higher education |
| |
| Authors: | Lidia Daza |
| |
| Institution: | Department of Sociology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain |
| |
| Abstract: | This paper aims to analyse the effects of students’ social relationships at university on students’ success. Specifically, whether a student with heterogeneous relationships obtains better academic results than a student whose relationships are mostly with classmates. Further, the research examines whether students’ social relationships make up for their parents’ lack of human capital. A survey was answered by a sample of 867 students from universities in the metropolitan region of Barcelona. The findings suggest that the effects of social relationships are not always positive. The benefits of social networks at university interact with the type of degree studied, the student’s dedication to studies, and the student’s social class. Perceptions of progress for each category of students is different: It is more positive for those with frequent heterogeneous relations, who do not work or do so for a few hours, and for those who are enrolled in “hard” science courses. |
| |
| Keywords: | Social capital relationships with peers relationships with faculty perception of progress educational inequalities |
|
|
