The Role of Social Capital in the Transition to Adulthood: Evidence from University Students in Shanghai, Chin

It has been suggested that individuals are faced with more transitions and life-decisions in adolescence and young adulthood than at any other developmental stage of life. Local studies have paid less attention to these time periods and the wider socio-structural influences. Adopting a mixed-method design, and drawing upon a sample of 1153 university students in Shanghai, China, this dissertation study investigates how family, friendship, associational, linking social capital, structural factors, and agentic personality influence young people's developmental outcomes during transition. This study addresses three overarching research questions: 1) How do various forms of social capital (family, friendship, association, and linking) influence developmental outcomes? 2) How are the effects of structural factors like family socio-economic status (SES) and gender mediated by various forms of social capital? And 3) How are the effects of social capital on developmental outcomes mediated by agentic personality?;The results of a structural equation modeling analysis provide a good fit for the sample as a whole. The overall findings support the hypotheses that social capital variables entirely mediate the effects of family SES and gender on identity achievement and mental health, as well as mediate the effects of family SES on academic achievement. Moreover, it also suggests that a higher level of agentic personality, including resilience, self-efficacy, and self-esteem, is associated with higher levels of developmental outcomes. Agentic personality also mediates the effects of family, friendship, associational, and linking social capital on developmental outcomes. Further qualitative analyses yield more in-depth understanding of these mechanisms.;The study provides empirical support for the importance of social capital in promoting young people's transition to adulthood. It advances the theory of social capital by incorporating its various dimensions into one conceptual framework, thus unraveling the mechanism of how family, friendship, associational, and linking social capital influence the university students' developmental outcomes during transition through both direct and mediating pathways. Specifically, this study enriches our understanding of associational social capital. Moreover, testing the theory in a non-western context potentially fortifies its cross-cultural validity and applicability. In addition to testing the theory with the general population, the present study also further applies it to the identified less advantaged groups, such as economically disadvantaged students and female students. The study thus suggests an approach to understanding of how achieving and activating social capital could facilitate their healthy growth. Furthermore, it is desirable that more programs for enhancement of agency building could be devised to foster young people's agentic personality, which potentially facilitates the negotiation of various obstacles and opportunities commonly encountered throughout the contemporary adult life.