Homophily and long-run integration in social networks

Abstract

We model network formation when heterogeneous nodes enter sequentially and form connections through both random meetings and network-based search, but with type-dependent biases. We show that there is “long-run integration”, whereby the composition of types in sufficiently old nodesʼ neighborhoods approaches the global type-distribution, provided that the network-based search is unbiased. However, younger nodesʼ connections still reflect the biased meetings process. We derive the type-based degree distributions and group-level homophily patterns when there are two types and location-based biases. Finally, we illustrate aspects of the model with an empirical application to data on citations in physics journals

The Economic Consequences of Social Network Structure

“…This is true of a variety of settings in which nodes and connections accumulate in tandem over time (e.g., see Jackson and Rogers (2007a);Jackson (2008a)). Assortativity patterns turn out to have implications for time patterns in homophily (Bramoullé et al (2012)) as well as contagion processes (Newman (2002); Jackson and Lopez-Pintado (2013)). …”

Who “Likes” You … and Why? A Typology of Facebook Fans

“…In addition, homophily is the principle that two people who connect in a social tie are alike with respect to attributes such as beliefs or status (McPherson et al, 2011). Facebook fans may be connected to others who share the same values, a phenomenon that is more prevalent among younger "nodes", or newer friend connections (Bramoullé et al, 2012). More generally, measures of perceived similarity, and of connectivity between individuals on a social network, may influence fans' brand relationships, and their "Liking" behavior.…”

The interplay of cultural intolerance and action-assortativity for the emergence of cooperation and homophily

“…In sociology, there is a long tradition to study behavioral homophily (see McPherson et al, 2001, for a survey), which finds that people associate themselves with those who share similar behavioral patterns. Although assortativity is commonly observed in human societies along many other dimensions including race, gender, language, religion, dress and origin (see, among others, McPherson et al, 2001, Ruef et al, 2003, Currarini et al, 2009, 2010, Bramoullé et al, 2012, action-assortativity plays a unique role in the situation we consider: given actionassortativity, cooperation and defection can work as instruments to avoid type-mismatches, and cultural aversion can be, to some extent, beneficial to society.…”