University Students’ Perceptions of Social differences and different Social Groups in Turkey: A Pilot Study

Abstract

This descriptive study aims to understand university students’ perceptions of social differences and different social groups in Turkey in addition to the sources from which they acquire such perceptions. As a part of a larger project at Akdeniz University (2011.01.0116.002), 37 students were given a questionnaire containing 40 Likert-type questions. The questions interrogated four main domains, namely, which qualities or habits are perceived as social differences, resources from which the participants acquire their perceptions, participants’ perceptions of some social groups in Turkey, and participants’ perceptions of their families’ and social environments’ attitudes towards social differences. Descriptive statistical analyses were carried out and the results inform us about the social groups towards which university students hold negative perceptions along with the sources of such negative perceptions. The results also call for the need for intervention of university administrators and curriculum designers to change such negative perceptions.