ERIC Number: EJ1490322
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025-Dec
Pages: 14
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0141-8211
EISSN: EISSN-1465-3435
Available Date: 2025-09-11
The Effect of Social Conditioning on the Personal Networks of University Students: The Italian Case
European Journal of Education, v60 n4 e70243 2025
The University world has changed over the years, particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic. Several domains of the academic life experience have been remodelled: relational aspects, resources exchanged within and outside the university, methods of teaching and attending class, communication between students and professors. The expansion of digital connection networks has influenced many aspects of the individual's daily activities, including university life. Employing a quantitative analysis approach while also taking a qualitative perspective, the present study describes the personal support network of 587 Italian university students 1 year after the outbreak of the pandemic and aims to capture their perception of the changes that have occurred in their relationships in these last few years. We explore the structural features of networks, relational properties, types of resources mobilised by support members and aim to provide a comprehensive understanding of how the pandemic has reshaped social interactions. Results show that the support networks described by participants were of small and medium density. Primarily, the network offered symbolic support and companionship, whereas the percentage of network members helping in study activities, mobilising services and information resources tended to be much smaller. Furthermore, the overarching narrative depicts a complex interplay between the fraying of relationships, profound changes in social dynamics and loss of in-person contacts.
Descriptors: College Students, Foreign Countries, Interpersonal Relationship, Social Networks, Student Experience, COVID-19, Pandemics
Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www-wiley-com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-us
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Italy
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: 1Department of Political Science, Law and International Studies, University of Padova, Padua, Italy; 2Department of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Molise, Campobasso, Italy; 3Department of Sociology, Milan, Italy

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