Social Networks in the School Context: Effects of Culture and Gender

Similarities and differences in children’s interpersonal relationships were assessed through examination of the effects of culture and gender as reflected in the quality of children’s relationships in their social network at school. Two cultural contexts representing collectivistic and individualistic orientations were studied. Questionnaires were completed by 1449 fourth- and fifth-grade students (604 Arab and 845 Jewish students) regarding their best friend, their class peers, their homeroom teacher, and their class climate. As expected, findings demonstrated better quality of peer relationships among Arab students (from a relatively collectivistic culture) and among boys, whereas Jewish students (from a relatively individualistic culture) and girls showed better quality of best-friend relationships than their counterparts. The results also highlighted a similarity in children’s relationships for both cultures and both genders, reflected in the highest intimacy of best-friend relationships.