Doctoral Dissertation Research: Social Networks and Values

University Of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia PA

Investigators

Abstract

This dissertation investigates how the social ties created by students in university settings affect their values and are, in turn, affected by those changing values. 512 entering students were surveyed about their values using questions from the World Values Survey and the General Social Survey. Information about their social networks was also collected based on questions from the National Longitudinal Survey of Adolescent Health (AdHealth). Approximately 100 of these students were followed up with a more detailed e-survey about how networks are formed and change. A second wave of data collection will be undertaken to document changes in networks and values. These data will be supplemented by 30 in-depth interviews to explore the subjective aspects of network formation and change. Foreign students are a particular focus in these data since their values are expected to undergo the most change. The principal hypotheses specify a relationship between increased network diversity and changes towards more individualistic and relativistic norms, especially on topics such as gender and tolerance.