ERIC Number: EJ1373019
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2022-Nov
Pages: 11
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-2578-4218
EISSN: EISSN-2578-4226
Belonging in Diverse Contexts: Sociability among Same-Ethnic and Cross-Ethnic Peers
Rambaran, J. Ashwin; Hoffman, Adam J.; Rivas-Drake, Deborah; Schaefer, David R.; Umaña-Taylor, Adriana J.; Ryan, Allison M.
School Psychology, v37 n6 p467-477 Nov 2022
Ethnically and racially diverse schools provide students opportunities to socially interact with both same- and cross-ethnic peers that can shape their sense of belonging within a school. This study investigates the extent to which same- or cross-ethnic friends influence feelings of school belonging in two large, diverse U.S. high schools (total N = 4,461; 9th-12th grade; 49.6% girls). Employing a longitudinal social network analytic approach, using stochastic actor-oriented modeling, this study found that students become more similar or stay similar to their same-ethnic friends, but not cross-ethnic friends, with no clear indication that students select friends based on similar levels of belonging. These novel findings highlight how feelings of school belonging are fostered through sociability in same-ethnic friend groups. Implications for interventions and other approaches to enhance school belonging are discussed.
Descriptors: Sense of Community, Interpersonal Competence, Ethnicity, High School Students, Social Networks, Network Analysis, Racial Differences, Group Membership, Peer Influence
American Psychological Association. Journals Department, 750 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002. Tel: 800-374-2721; Tel: 202-336-5510; Fax: 202-336-5502; e-mail: order@apa.org; Web site: http://www.apa.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: High Schools; Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: National Science Foundation (NSF)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: BCS1625196; BCS1745292; SES1918162