Can you disprove this? Students do not make friends with people outside their social circles through student opportunities.   Definitions Social circles – We will take a snapshot of diversity in friendship across three dimensions: economic capital, social capital and cultural capital.

Part A. Quantitative – build the argument

Survey at least 370 students. If you can match respondents against membership records then you might know the answer to this question already, but if not then ask:

• Have you been an active member of a club and society while studying?

Ask them which of these 3 groups they think is most applicable to each statement below: home and school friends; coursemates; friends made through clubs and societies; friends made through . Allow respondents a ‘don’t know/not sure’ answer.

• Which group contains the most people who have much more personal wealth (income + assets) than you and your family?
• Which group contains the most people who have much less personal wealth (income + assets) than you and your family?
• Which group contains the most people who you think might go on to have higher power careers than you?
• Which group contains the most people who you think might go on to have lower power careers than you?
• Which group contains the most people who enjoy more activities like these in their spare time: listening to classical music, visiting stately homes, going to museums?
• Which group contains the most people who enjoy more activities like these in their spare time: listening to hip-hop music, playing computer games, going to music gigs?

How often is ‘friends made through clubs and societies’ given as an answer?

 

Part B. Qualitative – how does your students’ unions contribute?

Include some open text questions on the survey.

• How has getting involved with student opportunities allowed you to make friends?
• What have you learned from friends made through student opportunities?
• Where might you found friends if the students’ union wasn’t running student opportunities?

What themes are there in responses?

 

Advanced questions

Do some students benefit more than others? Which ones?

 

Existing literature

http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/0/22001963

 

Example posters from students’ unions

Birmingham City University Students' Union

 

Templates

(If you develop a survey template, please send it in for others to use richard.brooks@nus.org.uk)