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Socioeconomic Status Updates: College Students, Family SES, and Emergent Social Capital in Facebook Networks

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2010, Master of Arts (MA), Ohio University, Sociology (Arts and Sciences).
Family SES has the potential to shape the opportunities, resources and life trajectory of college students. This study examines the effects of SES on college students‟ social capital through an online survey and innovative Facebook application measuring students‟ social networks. Participants were recruited through class visits and emails. Regression analyses measured the effects of SES on three measures of students‟ social capital, operationalized using online network data: general social capital (network size), bridging social capital (number of clusters), and bonding social capital (average degree). Students that had higher SES had larger networks with more ties per actor within the individual‟s network (average degree). Students from lower SES backgrounds had smaller networks with fewer ties per actor within ego‟s network. The effects of SES on social capital have never been studied in an online setting, and this study provides good evidence that more substantial research in the online environment can and should take place in the future.
Howard T. Welser, PhD (Committee Chair)
Robert Shelly, PhD (Committee Member)
Joseph De Angelis, PhD (Committee Member)
Scott Titsworth, PhD (Committee Member)
75 p.

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Brooks, B. A. (2010). Socioeconomic Status Updates: College Students, Family SES, and Emergent Social Capital in Facebook Networks [Master's thesis, Ohio University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1281577865

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Brooks, Brandon. Socioeconomic Status Updates: College Students, Family SES, and Emergent Social Capital in Facebook Networks. 2010. Ohio University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1281577865.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Brooks, Brandon. "Socioeconomic Status Updates: College Students, Family SES, and Emergent Social Capital in Facebook Networks." Master's thesis, Ohio University, 2010. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1281577865

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)