Stability amidst student protests? Evaluating the strength of racially diverse social systems through Bronfenbrenner’s theoretical lens
The complexity of race-related student protests is a challenge facing universities worldwide. Race-related protests disrupted a university campus in central South Africa in February 2016. These protests allowed the institution to evaluate how interpersonal relations amongst diverse students in resi...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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University of the Free State
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Perspectives in Education |
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| Online Access: | https://journals.ufs.ac.za/index.php/pie/article/view/8160 |
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| author | WP Wahl Kingsley Chinaza Nwosu |
| author_facet | WP Wahl Kingsley Chinaza Nwosu |
| author_sort | WP Wahl |
| collection | DOAJ |
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The complexity of race-related student protests is a challenge facing universities worldwide. Race-related protests disrupted a university campus in central South Africa in February 2016. These protests allowed the institution to evaluate how interpersonal relations amongst diverse students in residences activated its prior support function in the face of a campus crisis. Although a considerable number of researchers have utilised Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory to analyse the influence of peer interaction on student success, various shortcomings have made it difficult to derive a good understanding of the destabilising effect of a campus crisis on the developmental ecology of university campuses – something this study aimed to address. Purposive sampling was used to select participants for 14 focus group discussions immediately after the 2016 protest period. A thematic content analysis identified three overarching themes: enclosure versus exposure, communication and crisis, and discomfort and support. The study findings concluded that the interpersonal relations amongst diverse students can continue to enhance the developmental ecology of campuses challenged by the destabilising effect of race-related protests if specific principles are upheld during the unrest.
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-0daf05945d4e499ea8bf3d548aa30d15 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 0258-2236 2519-593X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | University of the Free State |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Perspectives in Education |
| spelling | doaj-art-0daf05945d4e499ea8bf3d548aa30d152025-08-20T02:36:58ZengUniversity of the Free StatePerspectives in Education0258-22362519-593X2025-06-0143210.38140/pie.v43i2.8160Stability amidst student protests? Evaluating the strength of racially diverse social systems through Bronfenbrenner’s theoretical lensWP Wahl0Kingsley Chinaza Nwosu1University of the Free State, South AfricaNnamdi Azikiwe University, Nigeria The complexity of race-related student protests is a challenge facing universities worldwide. Race-related protests disrupted a university campus in central South Africa in February 2016. These protests allowed the institution to evaluate how interpersonal relations amongst diverse students in residences activated its prior support function in the face of a campus crisis. Although a considerable number of researchers have utilised Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory to analyse the influence of peer interaction on student success, various shortcomings have made it difficult to derive a good understanding of the destabilising effect of a campus crisis on the developmental ecology of university campuses – something this study aimed to address. Purposive sampling was used to select participants for 14 focus group discussions immediately after the 2016 protest period. A thematic content analysis identified three overarching themes: enclosure versus exposure, communication and crisis, and discomfort and support. The study findings concluded that the interpersonal relations amongst diverse students can continue to enhance the developmental ecology of campuses challenged by the destabilising effect of race-related protests if specific principles are upheld during the unrest. https://journals.ufs.ac.za/index.php/pie/article/view/8160student protestscampus environmentcampus ecologysocial systemshigher education diversitystudent development |
| spellingShingle | WP Wahl Kingsley Chinaza Nwosu Stability amidst student protests? Evaluating the strength of racially diverse social systems through Bronfenbrenner’s theoretical lens Perspectives in Education student protests campus environment campus ecology social systems higher education diversity student development |
| title | Stability amidst student protests? Evaluating the strength of racially diverse social systems through Bronfenbrenner’s theoretical lens |
| title_full | Stability amidst student protests? Evaluating the strength of racially diverse social systems through Bronfenbrenner’s theoretical lens |
| title_fullStr | Stability amidst student protests? Evaluating the strength of racially diverse social systems through Bronfenbrenner’s theoretical lens |
| title_full_unstemmed | Stability amidst student protests? Evaluating the strength of racially diverse social systems through Bronfenbrenner’s theoretical lens |
| title_short | Stability amidst student protests? Evaluating the strength of racially diverse social systems through Bronfenbrenner’s theoretical lens |
| title_sort | stability amidst student protests evaluating the strength of racially diverse social systems through bronfenbrenner s theoretical lens |
| topic | student protests campus environment campus ecology social systems higher education diversity student development |
| url | https://journals.ufs.ac.za/index.php/pie/article/view/8160 |
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