| Understanding the experiences of underrepresented groups within colleges and universities is an important step in making higher education more inclusive and representative of the diversity in the United States. Social capital acquired through formal and informal social networking has been proposed to explain differences in college experiences among diverse student populations. The purpose of this study is to identify students' social networks and to examine the effects of such networks on academic and social integration among ethnic groups. Almost 340 students attending an ethnically diverse university described their personal networks and how their networks affected their college experience.; The results provide a more refined understanding of how social capital, social networking and ethnicity affect the students' overall college experience. Quantitative analyses of the data indicated that members of each ethnic group had different ethnic networking patterns before and during their college attendance. Moreover, non-Caucasian groups relied on their networks more in comparison to Caucasian students. After controlling for a number of student background variables, networking functions before (e.g., receiving help with college-related tasks, sharing in fun and relaxation activities) and during college were significant in explaining students' satisfaction with attending college. Similarly, network functions during college (e.g., receiving help with college-related tasks such as homework) were significant in explaining academic achievement. The study implies that students' social networking patterns can contribute to their accumulation of social capital. Such behavior positively affects their performance in college, as well as their overall integration and satisfaction with the college experience. The fact that networking behavior differs among ethnic groups deserves the attention of those positioned to influence the behavior of students both before and during their college attendance. |
