Ties for the Phases: Tie Formation and Educator Life in Urban and Rural Schools

• In Event: The Emotional Lives of Teachers Roundtable

Abstract

Friendships and close relationships within organizations and schools are integral for creating and increasing trust, engagement, and a sense of community. That said, few studies exclusively look at tie formation in friendship networks in K-12 contexts. In this study we explore the relationship between Day and Gu’s (2010) teacher life phases and the formation of friendship ties in four schools—two elementary and two high schools—in urban and rural settings. Using exponential random graph models (ERGMs) we found that life phase homophily increased the likelihood of tie formation in the high schools but not in the elementary schools.

Authors

• Jennifer Karnopp, San Diego State University

• Peter Bjorklund, University of California - San Diego