The development and impact of young people’s social capital in secondary schools
For more information on this project, please contact: Peter Stevens
This mixed-methods research project explores what factors and social processes relate to the development of young people’s social capital in two multicultural, inner-city secondary schools in London. In addition, it explores how young people’s social capital relates to educational and wider outcomes. This project focuses on three different forms of social capital: students’ sense of school belonging (bonding social capital), their attitudes to diversity (bridging social capital) and social support networks. In particular, this study explores the following research questions:
1. How do young people develop social support networks, their sense of school belonging and attitudes to social diversity?
2. How do these particular forms of social capital interact?
3. How do young people’s social support networks, attitudes to diversity and sense of school belonging relate to young people’s educational and wider outcomes?
An ecological approach is employed in researching these questions, focusing on factors and processes situated at different levels of analysis, including peer-group relationships and school and neighbourhood processes and characteristics. The analysis relies on qualitative interviews from students and staff and a cross-sectional school survey administered from 75% of the students in our two secondary schools.
