Beyond Homophily: The Boundary-Specific Effects of Interracial Contact
Decades of research have confirmed and delimited the effects of interracial contact on racial attitudes. A shortcoming of this literature is its framing of interracial contact as a counterweight to homophily. Accordingly, researchers often measure interracial contact at the same-race/different-race...
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2024
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| In: |
Race and social problems
Year: 2024, Volume: 16, Issue: 2, Pages: 211-229 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Keywords: |
| Summary: | Decades of research have confirmed and delimited the effects of interracial contact on racial attitudes. A shortcoming of this literature is its framing of interracial contact as a counterweight to homophily. Accordingly, researchers often measure interracial contact at the same-race/different-race boundary, such as in friendships and dating relationships. Rather than asking whether any interracial friendship leads to any interracial dating, I ask how much crossing a specific boundary actually leads to crossing other boundaries. Using the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health), I investigate the consequences of early interracial friendship for later interracial dating across six racial boundaries. The results show that interracial contact with a specific group increases the likelihood of interracial contact primarily with that same group and rarely with other groups. I conclude with implications for future research as well as social policy that relies on interracial contact. |
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| ISSN: | 1867-1756 |
| DOI: | 10.1007/s12552-024-09411-3 |