CONNECTIONS - INSNA

CONNECTIONS
Configurations of Homophily
These results offer support to prior findings on the
relative importance of dimensions. Relations that
were homophilous on only four dimensions
typically exceeded baseline levels, however race
was a consistent exception. For kin and group
member relations notably, configurations did not
exceed baseline levels unless they contained
similarity on race. It was necessary to combine
similarity on race with other dimensions for dyad
frequency to exceed chance levels, pointing to the
influential role of race in structuring relations.
Friends and coworkers were the exception to this
tendency as race dissimilar relations exceeded
baseline rates, but only when similarity on all
other dimensions was present.
Interesting patterns were found across the
different types of role relations. All kin relations
that exceeded the baseline level included
similarity on both race and religion. However,
greater age dissimilarity was seen in kin versus
nonkin relations, with half of the kin
configurations exceeding baseline levels
exhibiting age dissimilarity. This is a function of
the substructure of families, where most members
are similar on race and religion, though with
greater variability in age, sex, and education. By
contrast, in nonkin relations, religion was less
important, and race was just as important though
in a different way. Most nonkin relations that
exceeded the baseline level included similarity on
both age and race, combined with homophily on a
third dimension. That third dimension varied by
role; with group members, religion accompanied
age and race as homophilous dimensions; with
friends and coworkers greater variety existed.
Note that for no type of nonkin relation did a
configuration with dissimilarity on race and
another dimension or age and another dimension
exceed the baseline level. Relations with race or
age dissimilarity combined with another
dimension were too different to exceed the
baseline level.
Across all relation types, ten of the thirty-two
configurations exceeded baseline levels.
Examining results by substructural foci reveals
their effect on the development of intergroup
relations. The greatest diversity in homophily
configurations was seen in coworker relations,
where eight different configurations exceeded
baseline levels. In contrast, only six
configurations of homophily exceeding baseline
levels for group relations. This is an indicator of
higher levels of homogeneity in voluntary
association relations. In addition, though the
pattern of homophily differs for kin relations, they
were just as homogeneous as groups, with only
six configurations exceeding the baseline level.
These results are consistent with Marsden’s study
of network diversity (1990).
One limitation of this research was the treatment
of homophily and configurations as present or
absent. The current approach introduced a
technique to visualize the pattern of
configurations using lattices, though at the
expense of measurement precision. One could
extend this research by using fuzzy set
measurement techniques (where homophily could
be measured continuously from 0 to 1). Such an
approach could capture gradations in homophily,
whereby two individuals are not identical, but not
completely dissimilar. Subsequently,
configuration frequency could also be measured
using fuzzy set techniques, which could
incorporate measures of relationship closeness
including strength, duration, time spent together,
and multiplexity. Measuring the outcome as a
fuzzy set may provide insight to those instances
where configuration frequency exceeds baseline
levels even though dissimilarity on multiple
dimensions exists. Perhaps those relationships are
not as close as those with greater levels of
homophily. Either approach would build on the
insights gleaned from this research.
In addition, this research treated relations as the
unit of analysis without regard for the social
positions of the individuals. Prior research has
demonstrated how network characteristics vary
according to social position (Fischer, 1982; Ibarra,
1995; Marsden, 1987; Moore, 1990). Further
research on the multidimensionality of homophily
should consider variation across social positions.
If network heterogeneity is associated with social
mobility as suggested by Blau (1977) and social
capital as Lin suggests (2001) then examining the
coincidence of homophily across multiple
dimensions by social position can provide clearer
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