1-125 - Ethnically integrated and segregated friendship networks in schools: Predictors and consequences

Session Type: Paper Symposium

Integrative Statement

Recent demographic changes in western countries’ populations have transformed the ethnic composition of schools. Intergroup contact has been argued to reduce youth’s prejudices towards other ethnic groups. Moreover, individual’s interethnic relationships and perceptions later in life are largely formed by their interethnic peer relationships and particularly friendships in school. Nevertheless, segregation along ethnic boundaries has been found to be a persistent feature of youth’s friendships. This symposium brings together three studies focusing on ethnic integration in peer relationships, especially friendships, in schools.

Using longitudinal social network data on youth from middle and elementary schools in the United States and the Netherlands, the studies in this symposium look at both predictors and consequences of ethnically integrated friendship networks. The symposium employs a two-level approach to ethnic integration of friendships: the individual (i.e., whether youth choose cross-ethnic peers as friends) and network level (i.e., whether friendship networks in schools are integrated or segregated).

First of all, it will be discussed whether sharing the same role in bullying (i.e., being victims of the same bully or targeting the same victim) increases the likelihood for cross-ethnic peers to select each other as friends. In addition, it will be discussed whether opportunities for cross-ethnic friendships through course-taking patterns predicts ethnic integration. Finally, it will be discussed how youth’s cross-ethnic friendship choices influence the likelihood of victimization by peers as well as psychosocial and academic outcomes.

Sub Unit

• Social Relationships

Chair

• Marianne Hooijsma, University of Groningen

Discussant

• Rene Veenstra, University of Groningen

Individual Presentations

• Crossing ethnic boundaries in children’s friendships? Investigating the influence of sharing the same role in bullying - Presenting Author: Marianne Hooijsma, University of Groningen; Dorottya Kisfalusi, Institute for Sociology, Hungarian Academy of Sciences; Gijs Huitsing, University of Groningen; Jan Kornelis Dijkstra, University of Groningen; Andreas Flache, University of Groningen; Rene Veenstra, University of Groningen

• Ethnic integration in diverse middle schools: Predictors and consequences of integrated friendship networks - Presenting Author: Kara Kogachi, University of California, Los Angeles; Sandra Graham, UCLA

• Peer victimization in an ethnically diverse middle school: The role of friendship and ethnic group representation - Presenting Author: Leslie Echols, Missouri State University; Sandra Graham, UCLA