Fostering Students’ Social Fostering Students’ Social CapitalCapital

Improving retention in the Improving retention in the era of mass educationera of mass education

Lin’s definition of social Lin’s definition of social capitalcapital

““social capital, which is not the social capital, which is not the individual’s possessed goods, but individual’s possessed goods, but resources accessible through direct and resources accessible through direct and indirect ties. Access to and use of these indirect ties. Access to and use of these resources is temporary and borrowed in resources is temporary and borrowed in the sense that the actor does not the sense that the actor does not possess them. A friend’s bicycle is one’s possess them. A friend’s bicycle is one’s social capital. One can use it to achieve social capital. One can use it to achieve a certain goal, but it must be returned to a certain goal, but it must be returned to the friend.” the friend.”

Bonding and Bridging Bonding and Bridging Social CapitalSocial Capital

Bonding social capital is interaction Bonding social capital is interaction with people similar to oneself. This is with people similar to oneself. This is the more usual type.the more usual type.

Bridging social capital is interaction Bridging social capital is interaction with those different to yourself. This with those different to yourself. This is seen as more valuable as it can is seen as more valuable as it can potentially aid social mobility.potentially aid social mobility.

Higher education minister Higher education minister Bill Rammell: Bill Rammell:

““The most challenging statistic is The most challenging statistic is that if you come from the top two that if you come from the top two socio-economic groups, you've got socio-economic groups, you've got an 80% chance of going to an 80% chance of going to university. If you come from the university. If you come from the bottom two socio-economic groups, bottom two socio-economic groups, it's only 20%. In the fourth richest it's only 20%. In the fourth richest economy in the world in the 21st economy in the world in the 21st century this is unacceptable.” century this is unacceptable.”

Higher Education and Higher Education and Social CapitalSocial Capital

Hypothesis 1: Economic, cultural and social Hypothesis 1: Economic, cultural and social capital affect your ability to go to university capital affect your ability to go to university and to choose which university to go to.and to choose which university to go to.

Hypothesis 2: Economic capital dictates the Hypothesis 2: Economic capital dictates the opportunity structure to form friendship opportunity structure to form friendship networks at university (e.g. part-time work, networks at university (e.g. part-time work, halls etc) and cultural capital can optimise halls etc) and cultural capital can optimise your ability and confidence to do so.your ability and confidence to do so.

Higher Education and Higher Education and Social CapitalSocial Capital

Hypothesis 3: Social capital at university Hypothesis 3: Social capital at university can provide academic and financial support.can provide academic and financial support.

Hypothesis 4: Having a university career Hypothesis 4: Having a university career and a network of graduate friends can and a network of graduate friends can enhance your social capital in the long-enhance your social capital in the long-term, but the value of this social capital is term, but the value of this social capital is partly dictated by the type of institution you partly dictated by the type of institution you went to i.e. Oxbridge, Rusel Group, Post-went to i.e. Oxbridge, Rusel Group, Post-1992.1992.

Students impeded in Students impeded in developing friendship developing friendship

networksnetworks

Those living outside halls in their first Those living outside halls in their first yearyear

Distance students, especially those in Distance students, especially those in the parental homethe parental home

Mature studentsMature students Part-time studentsPart-time students Students with outside commitmentsStudents with outside commitments Those with part-time jobsThose with part-time jobs

Brenda and TraceyBrenda and Tracey

““You know you get more help from You know you get more help from Brenda and Tracey in the café and Brenda and Tracey in the café and everyone calls them their Uni Mums everyone calls them their Uni Mums because people do want someone, because people do want someone, especially people that do come here especially people that do come here straight away from A levels as well, you straight away from A levels as well, you need someone with all these questions. need someone with all these questions. Not just academic ones but all personal Not just academic ones but all personal support and everything. You don’t want support and everything. You don’t want to go and see a stranger, you need to be to go and see a stranger, you need to be able to build a relationship.”able to build a relationship.”Female, 26, White British, Female, 26, White British, Third YearThird Year

Halls studentsHalls students

““My halls weren’t actual halls they were My halls weren’t actual halls they were flats. There was about six people so flats. There was about six people so actually you only spoke to six people, actually you only spoke to six people, who turned out to be complete bitches. who turned out to be complete bitches. The halls in Digby and Southlands are The halls in Digby and Southlands are like halls halls, and then there’s like like halls halls, and then there’s like Froebel and Mount Clare that aren’t Froebel and Mount Clare that aren’t like halls. They’re like flats, unless you like halls. They’re like flats, unless you get on with the people, you’re get on with the people, you’re buggered.” buggered.”

Female, 21, White British, Third yearFemale, 21, White British, Third year

An off-campus student that An off-campus student that withdrewwithdrew

““Well I feel one of the main reasons I Well I feel one of the main reasons I left was because I felt excluded from my left was because I felt excluded from my class, I found it hard to mix with others class, I found it hard to mix with others as most people lived on campus we had as most people lived on campus we had nothing to talk about, I felt out of place nothing to talk about, I felt out of place which made me feel horrible and alone which made me feel horrible and alone so I didn’t create study groups. Which so I didn’t create study groups. Which meant all work was done on my own.” meant all work was done on my own.”

Female, 18, White British, First yearFemale, 18, White British, First year

A “Non-traditional” student A “Non-traditional” student settling insettling in

““I’m a person that waits until I’m I’m a person that waits until I’m comfortable, but some seminar comfortable, but some seminar groups they over take the whole groups they over take the whole discussion and then their twenty discussion and then their twenty four hour [drinking] binge and I four hour [drinking] binge and I have nothing to say except I bake have nothing to say except I bake cakes for my kids.”cakes for my kids.”

Female, 26, Black Caribbean, First Female, 26, Black Caribbean, First yearyear

Off-campus studentsOff-campus students

““I exchanged telephone numbers with people I exchanged telephone numbers with people expecting them to call me or me to call them expecting them to call me or me to call them and you just don’t, you just do the work and you just don’t, you just do the work yourself, hand it in and, go home, and that’s yourself, hand it in and, go home, and that’s probably what I miss being a mature student probably what I miss being a mature student and living off campus, is that sort of network and living off campus, is that sort of network you have, you say hello to people in class you have, you say hello to people in class then its “bye-bye see you next week”, and it’s then its “bye-bye see you next week”, and it’s quite isolating if you do that.” quite isolating if you do that.”

Female 39, White British, Second year (part-Female 39, White British, Second year (part-time)time)

DiscussionDiscussion

What else can be done to help students What else can be done to help students develop networks?develop networks?

Do you feel it is the institution’s Do you feel it is the institution’s responsibility?responsibility?

If you have any enquiries please email If you have any enquiries please email me:me:

a.curtis@roehampton.ac.uka.curtis@roehampton.ac.uk