Egocentric networks and academic trajectory of newly admitted students in higher education institutions in Chihuahua

Abstract

This article analyzes the egocentric networks that newly admitted students in higher education institutions rely on. The study was quantitative and involved 76% of the population enrolled in August 2018 at the Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez, Nuevo Casas Grandes campus in Chihuahua City, Mexico. The purpose was to compare the characteristics of the egocentric network of university students with different academic status (failing, regular and lagging), in order to determine the types of relationships, density and attributes of the actors in the academic trajectory of the students. The methodology used was the analysis of social networks, based on a General Social Survey name generator questionnaire, in which we found that kinships are stronger and more intimate when the relationship is between women (homophily); this has an important impact on the students’ decision making and academic trajectory.