Strong and weak tie homophily in adolescent friendship networks: An analysis of same-race and same-gender ties.

ABSTRACT: While we know that adolescents tend to befriend peers who share their race and gender, it is unclear whether patterns of homophily vary according to the strength, intimacy, or connectedness of these relationships. By applying valued exponential random graph models to a sample of 153 adolescent friendship networks, I test whether tendencies towards same-race and same-gender friendships differ for strong versus weak relational ties. In nondiverse, primarily white networks, weak ties are more likely to connect same-race peers, while racial homophily is not associated with the formation of stronger friendships. As racial diversity increases, however, strong ties become more likely to connect same-race peers, while weaker bonds are less apt to be defined by racial homophily. Gender homophily de

SUBMITTER: McMillan C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10104515 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature