Grouping together rewards some but has consequences
Homophily
Athletes are friends with other athletes. Smart people associate with other smart people. Rich people with other rich people. White with white. Black with black.
In the 1950s, sociologists coined the term homophily to describe people’s tendency to associate with people who are similar to themselves, according to the New York Times Magazine. Birds of the same feather truly do flock together.
In their paper “Birds of a Feather: Homophily in Social Networks,” sociologists Miller McPherson, Lynn Smith-Lovin, and James Cook wrote “Similarity breeds connection.”
However, while similarities bring people together, differences serve as divisions, keeping people apart. Homophily manifests itself due to similarities and differences in status, way of life, interests, and beliefs, and its effects have been seen in many forms from peers to friendships and confidants to romantic relationships.
In the 1950s, sociologists coined the term homophily to describe people’s tendency to associate with people who are similar to themselves, according to the New York Times Magazine. Birds of the same feather truly do flock together.
In their paper “Birds of a Feather: Homophily in Social Networks,” sociologists Miller McPherson, Lynn Smith-Lovin, and James Cook wrote “Similarity breeds connection.”
However, while similarities bring people together, differences serve as divisions, keeping people apart. Homophily manifests itself due to similarities and differences in status, way of life, interests, and beliefs, and its effects have been seen in many forms from peers to friendships and confidants to romantic relationships.
Bay Area
In schools, the effects of homophily on friend groups can be quite profound.
A survey conducted by Public Religion Research Institute in 2013 found that 65 percent of black Americans reported only having black friends, and 75 percent of white Americans said they had only whites in their social circle. At Carlmont, many friend groups are formed along racial lines.
Sophie Liu, a junior, said, “Almost all of my friends are Asian. This is primarily because where I was seated in middle school. But besides that, I think it’s the level of classes I’m taking; they just tend to have more Asians in them. Also, I think people tend to be friends with people who are of a similar race because you culturally identify with people of the same ethnicity. For example, you share the same holidays, languages, and home situations.”
According to McPherson, Smith-Lovin, and Cook, “Race and ethnicity are clearly the biggest divide in social networks today in the United States.” In essence, people predominantly associate with those who are ethnically similar to themselves.
For many years, students from East Palo Alto were split among the five high schools in the district. However, since Sequoia Union High School District made the decision to stop separating East Palo Alto students and instead allow them to attend Menlo-Atherton, diversity at Carlmont has declined and its lack of racial integration has become more apparent.
Earl Kwofie, a junior, said, “Groups in Carlmont represent the student population more times than not, but with regards to various mono-racial groups, it’s not a racial or racist thing. People like being around people who look like them or share common experiences or mindset. If that just so happens to vary with race, then so be it.”
However, race is just one of many factors. Students bond with other students who share common interests, values, and goals. For example, students who are passionate about music band together. Consequently, groups such as “drama kids,” “choir kids,” “athletes,” and “ASB kids” form on school campus.
Josh Vendrow, a junior, said, “I look for intelligence because I want friends that I can have thoughtful conversations with and share my academic drive. Everyone is taking multiple AP classes. It is a reality at Carlmont that white and especially Asian students take far more honors classes than minority students. This contributes to the divisions in friend groups.”
On a similar note, teenagers are friends with other individuals who exhibit similar patterns of behavior.
McPherson, Smith-Lovin, and Cook wrote, “[Past studies] demonstrated that both positive behaviors of school achievement and negative behaviors like smoking marijuana were homophilous more because of selection into relationships with similar others than because of behavioral influence within friendship cliques.”
However, this separation can compound the differences between students.
High-achieving students propel each other forward, motivating each other to do their best and forming connections for the future.
English teacher Denise Steward said, “We have all been friends for 30 years, and our children are friends now. We are a family; we help each other out. I would trust them with everything, always have, always will. A lot of us have went into helping professions, teachers, nurses, a firefighter, a police officer. That’s who we are.”
In contrast, students in “the bad crowd” are exposed to a myriad of negative influences.
According to the article “Adolescent marihuana use: role of parents and peers” by Denise Kendel, a professor of sociomedical sciences in psychiatry at Columbia University, “Peer and parental influences are synergistic; the highest rates of marihuana usage are observed among adolescents whose parents and friends are drug users.”
Furthermore, the choices made in high school can fundamentally impact the course of one’s life. Connections formed in high school carry on into college and the professional sphere. In many scenarios, the phrase “it’s not what you know, but who you know” does apply, and homophily directly impacts who one knows.
“Research tells us that between 60 to 80 percent of jobs are found through personal relationships,” said John Bennett, director of the Master of Science in organization development and coaching certificate programs with the McColl School of Business at Queens University of Charlotte, in an interview with Fox Business.
Fostering relationships with positively influential people can lead to job opportunities and open doors in the future. On the other hand, poor decisions as a teen can follow a person throughout one’s life. For example, “early adolescent pseudomature behavior predicted long-term difficulties in close relationships, as well as significant problems with alcohol and substance use, and elevated levels of criminal behavior,” according to an article published in the Journal of Child Development.
Felton said, “In all honesty, homophily is a trend that favors the lucky. As a upper-middle class, white male with a 5.0, I see the effects of the ‘homophily of privilege’ in my life. My friends are almost all of a similar economic standing and in many of the same advanced classes. I realize that I will likely marry someone of a similar intelligence, attractiveness, and economic background. That’s simply the reality of it.”
A survey conducted by Public Religion Research Institute in 2013 found that 65 percent of black Americans reported only having black friends, and 75 percent of white Americans said they had only whites in their social circle. At Carlmont, many friend groups are formed along racial lines.
Sophie Liu, a junior, said, “Almost all of my friends are Asian. This is primarily because where I was seated in middle school. But besides that, I think it’s the level of classes I’m taking; they just tend to have more Asians in them. Also, I think people tend to be friends with people who are of a similar race because you culturally identify with people of the same ethnicity. For example, you share the same holidays, languages, and home situations.”
According to McPherson, Smith-Lovin, and Cook, “Race and ethnicity are clearly the biggest divide in social networks today in the United States.” In essence, people predominantly associate with those who are ethnically similar to themselves.
For many years, students from East Palo Alto were split among the five high schools in the district. However, since Sequoia Union High School District made the decision to stop separating East Palo Alto students and instead allow them to attend Menlo-Atherton, diversity at Carlmont has declined and its lack of racial integration has become more apparent.
Earl Kwofie, a junior, said, “Groups in Carlmont represent the student population more times than not, but with regards to various mono-racial groups, it’s not a racial or racist thing. People like being around people who look like them or share common experiences or mindset. If that just so happens to vary with race, then so be it.”
However, race is just one of many factors. Students bond with other students who share common interests, values, and goals. For example, students who are passionate about music band together. Consequently, groups such as “drama kids,” “choir kids,” “athletes,” and “ASB kids” form on school campus.
Josh Vendrow, a junior, said, “I look for intelligence because I want friends that I can have thoughtful conversations with and share my academic drive. Everyone is taking multiple AP classes. It is a reality at Carlmont that white and especially Asian students take far more honors classes than minority students. This contributes to the divisions in friend groups.”
On a similar note, teenagers are friends with other individuals who exhibit similar patterns of behavior.
McPherson, Smith-Lovin, and Cook wrote, “[Past studies] demonstrated that both positive behaviors of school achievement and negative behaviors like smoking marijuana were homophilous more because of selection into relationships with similar others than because of behavioral influence within friendship cliques.”
However, this separation can compound the differences between students.
High-achieving students propel each other forward, motivating each other to do their best and forming connections for the future.
English teacher Denise Steward said, “We have all been friends for 30 years, and our children are friends now. We are a family; we help each other out. I would trust them with everything, always have, always will. A lot of us have went into helping professions, teachers, nurses, a firefighter, a police officer. That’s who we are.”
In contrast, students in “the bad crowd” are exposed to a myriad of negative influences.
According to the article “Adolescent marihuana use: role of parents and peers” by Denise Kendel, a professor of sociomedical sciences in psychiatry at Columbia University, “Peer and parental influences are synergistic; the highest rates of marihuana usage are observed among adolescents whose parents and friends are drug users.”
Furthermore, the choices made in high school can fundamentally impact the course of one’s life. Connections formed in high school carry on into college and the professional sphere. In many scenarios, the phrase “it’s not what you know, but who you know” does apply, and homophily directly impacts who one knows.
“Research tells us that between 60 to 80 percent of jobs are found through personal relationships,” said John Bennett, director of the Master of Science in organization development and coaching certificate programs with the McColl School of Business at Queens University of Charlotte, in an interview with Fox Business.
Fostering relationships with positively influential people can lead to job opportunities and open doors in the future. On the other hand, poor decisions as a teen can follow a person throughout one’s life. For example, “early adolescent pseudomature behavior predicted long-term difficulties in close relationships, as well as significant problems with alcohol and substance use, and elevated levels of criminal behavior,” according to an article published in the Journal of Child Development.
Felton said, “In all honesty, homophily is a trend that favors the lucky. As a upper-middle class, white male with a 5.0, I see the effects of the ‘homophily of privilege’ in my life. My friends are almost all of a similar economic standing and in many of the same advanced classes. I realize that I will likely marry someone of a similar intelligence, attractiveness, and economic background. That’s simply the reality of it.”