“I always need my mum”: social capital, social learning and student housing transitions in Northern Ireland

Abstract

This article provides an overview of outcomes from recent research on student housing transitions in Northern Ireland.The study reveals that almost three quarters of respondents in this undergraduate survey were living in the parental home, a finding in line with broader European trends. Statistical analysis using SPSS revealed that there were differences according to socio-economic background in housing behaviour. Social capital, represented by proxy indicators of family and friendship ties, helps further explain how those at home manage living with their parents and throws light on what enables a successful transition to independent living for those who have left home. Using terminology associated with Putnam (2000), living independently relates to possession of bridging social capital, while those living at home tend to have strong ties with their immediate family. Many of these home-stayers also lack affinity with local or broader European identities, while those living independently are not only more spatially dislocated but also more open towards trans-national identities.