Reimagining Social Capital: Hybrid Adolescent Networks in Digital and Physical Spaces

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Sunday 7:45 am
  In Roundtable Session: Toward a Transnational Educational Research Agenda

Abstract

By revisiting overlooked histories of network inequities, this roundtable examines how adolescents in vulnerable contexts build and mobilize social capital across offline relationships and online platforms. Drawing on a systematic review of 42 studies and qualitative data from focus groups with adolescents in Barcelona, the session explores how digital interactions complement or disrupt traditional networks of support. Findings show that while online connections can expand access to informational and emotional resources, they may also reinforce exclusionary dynamics and distract from academic engagement. Participants will engage in a dialogue about the multidimensional nature of adolescent social capital in socially and economically disadvantaged environments, addressing theoretical and methodological challenges as well as implications to guide equity-centred school and community interventions.

Authors

• Maria Vilas, Ramon Llull University

• Jordi Riera, Ramon Llull University

• Elena Carrillo Alvarez, Ramon Llull University