Social Circle Preferences of G11 Students: A Phenomenological Study

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

Social circle is a group of people socially connected to each other such as friends, colleagues, and families. Preferences of choosing such social circle among grade eleven students led to this research as the said students are in the age of transition to being mature individuals. Previous study suggests that in-group identity is one of the factors in choosing social group and thus this study presents empirical data whether such factor is also considered among the grade eleven students of Balete Integrated School. This study also describes students' experience in considering and choosing social circle and their clarification of other's judgement towards certain social circles.

METHODS

Researchers utilized qualitative-phenomenological research strategy to interpret participants' perception of social circle preferences. Face-to-face interview was conducted to grade eleven students belonging to a social circle of three or more individuals. Participants' responses were analyzed and categorized through content analysis.

RESULTS

Results showed that when choosing friends, students depend on the characteristics and impressions. Characteristics were based on their experiences in years of making a social circle work. Many traits were mentioned but "loyal", "kind", "thoughtful", "good influence", and "easy-to-get-along-with" were mentioned several times. Their preferred characteristics showedto benefit themselves and the relationship. Two types of impression were identified which include the lasting and changing impressions. Seating arrangement, beliefs, and personalities have found to affect the social circle preferences of students. Study also showed that experiences can modify or strengthen preferences.

DISCUSSIONS

Results show that social circles are not randomly formed but are affected by a person's preferences and experiences. In-group identity which enhances the likelihood of friendship as mentioned in the previous study may be considered related to factors generated in this study. Through this study, parents may understand the reasons behind their children's social circle. By considering the factors relative to the information received from the participants, school programs for enhancing students' camaraderie and small social group functioning may be designed to its efficiency for the benefits of school community. The current study however, utilized only select grade eleven students using qualitative or exploratory study. To strengthen the results generated through this study, it is therefore recommended that the data from this study may be used for a confirmatory study using either a quantitative or another qualitative approach using much more comprehensive analysis and greater number of participants.