Does network homophily persist in multicultural volunteering programs? Results from an Exponential Random Graph Model.

ABSTRACT: Few studies examined the social network structures within multicultural volunteer programs for low-income diverse older adults, making it unclear how diverse older adults establish social connections beyond their co-ethnic community. This study aims to identify the social network structures within a Senior Companion Program (SCP), a multicultural low-income volunteer program in a Midwestern Metropolitan area in the United States. Data were collected through surveys during a SCP monthly in-service training in October 2021. Russian, Khmer, Somali, Nepali, and English-speaking older volunteers in the SCP (N = 41) identified friends through a nomination form. Exponential Random Graph Modeling (ERGM) was used to identify statistically significant structural features of the SCP network. G

SUBMITTER: Cao QK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11359767 | biostudies-literature | 2024

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature