SOCIAL ISSUES OF PAKISTANI STUDENTS LIVING IN HOSTELS: A QUALITATIVE STUDY

Abstract

The current study explored the social issues faced by the students living in a hostel environment. The major objective of the study was to assess the personal experience of female students regarding social issues of hostel life. The present study gave an overview of the life experienced in a hostel of Pakistan and the impact it had on the students. Purposive sampling strategy was utilized to collect data. Sample of the study contained of 4 Female Students (2 = final year students; 2 = third year students) the age range of the participants was between 18-25 years who were currently enrolled in undergraduate program of university. Semi-structured interview protocol was used in the current study to explore the subjective experiences of hostel life for the participants. Interpretative Phenomenological analysis was used for the analysis of the data hence 2 super-ordinate themes were obtained from the interviews of the students living in hostel. The themes extracted by IPA were social issues faced in hostel and psychological impact of hostel life. The results indicated that students living in a hostel environment experienced various social issues. The participants expressed how difficult it was adjusting to an environment without their families. The participants expressed how difficult it was adjusting to an environment without their families, living with people that were complete strangers at first, with diverse culturally socially and academic backgrounds. However, living in hostel and undergoing various problems and challenges also made the participants made the participants enhance their self development as well as in their personality growth, which indicates that hostel life had both progressive as well as adverse effect on the students. The present study will have theoretical and practical contribution in the indigenous literature of the social influence and interpersonal relationships in developmental and social psychology.