We extend our congratulations to Dr Tina Gao on his recent publication titled “Moving towards an integrated approach: a conceptual review of campus-based social capital for racial and ethnic minority university students” in Educational Review.
Abstract
Over recent years, the growth in racial and ethnic minority student numbers in higher education has raised key questions about their adjustment and persistence. Existing literature highlights the pivotal role of social capital more broadly – and campus-based social capital (CBSC) in particular – for these students. Much of this work adopts an instrumentalist approach, focusing on the diverse forms of CBSC minority students acquire and its subsequent impact on their ability to navigate university or college environments. This approach marks a significant shift in theoretical and research paradigms: away from a biologically and culturally rooted “deficit” lens, towards an “asset”-based understanding of their funds of knowledge or community cultural wealth and agentic capacities. In response, however, a limited body of research takes a critical stance, challenging the decontextualised individualism inherent in instrumentalist frameworks and emphasising the importance of campus racial and ethnic climate in shaping how these students access and accumulate CBSC. Through a systematic review of empirical literature, this paper proposes an integrated approach – recognising the interconnected nature of instrumentalist and critical perspectives in interpreting minority students’ higher education experiences – with significant implications for future research, policy and practice in the sector.
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