Young Business Graduates' Constructions of "Right" and "Wrong" Social Networking
Keywords:
higher education gratuates, social networking, membership categorization analysis, moral order, accountsAbstract
In the neoliberal university and working life, students are encouraged to network in order to improve their own employability. This article critically approaches the current ideal of networking from the perspective of the sociology of education and examines how university students and graduates adopt and resist the requirement to network in their accounts. Using category analysis of interviews of young business graduates, the article shows that networking, usually considered good and desirable, actually involves moral conflicts which individuals must solve. The interviewees strive to solve these conflicts by negotiating the right and wrong interests and ways of networking in a way that enables them to perform themselves as honorable and competent professionals. These interpretations build a moral order of networking, according to which the meaning of networking must be recognized, but networking must not be done artificially, falsely or by exploiting others. Networking must be based on voluntary actions, honesty and genuine relationships established in working life, and requires an extroverted character. Employment must occur based on one's own merits. Based on the research, the ideal of networking is exclusionary. Networking is classed and gendered as not everyone has, for example, the networks of family or work experience, or the personality traits required for networking.
