Academic Social Capital: Comparison of Iranian Students Studying in Iran and India

Introduction: This study examines the status of the 13 components of academic social capital and compares it among 190 PhD students studying in 3 universities of Tehran, Tarbiat Modares and Ferdowsi of Mashhad (as Iranian sample) and Iranian doctoral students studying at the University of Mysore in India (as abroad sample).
Method: This study was conducted through a researcher-made questionnaire and was conducted using the survey method among students of Iranian universities and Mysore University of India. The classified random sampling method has been performed. The content validity and validity of the means of measuring and defining the items defining the 13 dimensions of social capital have been obtained through documentary studies and the participation of elites and experts in the relevant panels and finally by exploratory factor analysis and calculation of Cronbach's odds.
Findings: The results show that the status of academic social capital among Iranian doctoral students is moderate to low. Among the four groups of students studied, family ties are more prevalent than cyberspace interactions. Among the four types of trust measured in this study, trust to professors among doctoral students compared to other trusts is at the highest level. Networking during high school and undergraduate education is estimated to be the lowest level of social capital. Comparison of students studying in Iran and India shows that the standardized average of 13 indicators among PhD students studying at University of Mysore is somewhat higher than students studying at 3 Iranian universities. Relationships with family and networking during high school have been rated higher among Iranian students abroad than among Iranian students.
Results & Conclusion These findings indicate the fact that social capital among Iranian students studying abroad is related to two key concepts, including family and networking. The facts also show that the world of Iranians living abroad is to some extent related to this important fact in their lives. Their families support them, and high school has been a golden age for them and a time full of social capital. Students studying in the country stand out in terms of social capital components that ensure their success within Iranian society to some extent, such as trust to news sources, trust to friends and interactions in cyberspace. Accordingly, both groups of students are influenced by some components of social and cultural capital, but each of these resources, depending on its type and nature, mediates their adaptation to the surrounding bio-world. Consequently, given the differences in the biological world of Iranian students at home with Iranian students studying abroad, there are differences in their ability to exploit social capital resources.